Posts Tagged ‘Backstreet Boys’

It’s been a trying week for singer Brian Littrell and his family following the hospitalization of his son Baylee and the six-year-old’s subsequent diagnosis with atypical Kawasaki’s Syndrome, an inflammation of the arteries around the heart.

Not only have Brian and his wife Leighanne had to deal with this personal matter, they’ve had to do so in the media spotlight, which often gets details wrong in the rush for a juicy bit of news.

"There were a lot of stories going around, a lot of wrong information on what was going on," Leighanne tells OK! in an exclusive interview. "I had heard stories that his heart had hardened or people thought he had cancer, and I just didn’t want it to get so blown up."

But it’s not just the press that’s been wrong with the details of Baylee’s story. According to Leighanne, before doctor’s reached the Kawasaki’s conclusion, the boy had been diagnosed with everything from strep throat to hand, foot and mouth disease.

One small positive thing Leighanne is taking away from the massive media interest in Baylee’s condition is that it’s a chance to educate people about the facts and fictions surrounding Kawasaki’s. "What I’d like to do is talk to some people about what we went through and make parents aware of our steps and actions so that maybe their kid won’t get misdiagnosed."

Now that Baylee is home for the holidays, the Littrells are attempting to get back to a normal life. "We’ve had probably the craziest six days of our entire life and I hope that that’s the worst it gets," says Leighanne. "Baylee’s just running around in his Batman costume and he’s feeling so much better and his attitude is fantastic."

Of course, all this distress has taken its toll on the actual gift-giving part of Christmas, something the Littrells are trying to make up for now. "We’re trying to order a Santa because we’ve been in the hospital for so long," she tells OK!. "We didn’t get to shop or anything because we were in the hospital so now we’re shopping last-minute for all his family members."

So what do Brian and Leighanne want to see under their tree on Thursday morning? Just their little boy. "We’re literally thanking every minute of every day because it’s actually the best Christmas present we’ve ever gotten."

Be sure to pick up the next issue of OK! for the entire story of little Baylee’s battle.