3-year-old who spent over a month in hospital battling flu, RSV gets wish to see family again

By Yi-Jin Yu

A 3-year-old boy who spent over a month in the hospital battling the flu and RSV had his wish granted in February to go outside, reunite with his family, and to top it all off, get his very own tablet.

April Nelson told "Good Morning America" that at the end of December, her son Tay had to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, for 47 days. She said her son's PICU stay was a harrowing one with Tay having to be intubated, connected to an ECMO machine and resuscitated multiple times.

Courtesy of Little Wishes

April Nelson’s son Tay had a wish granted by the nonprofit Little Wishes. Tay, who has been in the hospital with the flu and RSV, was gifted his very own tablet and was able to go outside and reunite with his family.

With the help of Tay's care team and the nonprofit Little Wishes, Tay has been making progress in his recovery and Nelson said the emotional moment when her family and Tay gathered outside for the first time since he was hospitalized meant "everything."

"That day, I feel like I was actually able to smile and my family was reunited," Nelson recalled. "He still was critical at that moment but it was literally a breath of fresh air for both of us -- and having him out there, it was everything."

Courtesy of April Nelson

April Nelson said her son Tay was diagnosed with the flu and RSV in December and had to spend 47 days in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Courtesy of April Nelson

Tay is 3 and the youngest of April Nelson’s four children.

"It was a beautiful moment. That was the first time he's seen his siblings since he came into the hospital," the mom of four added.

Nelson said after Tay's wish was granted, he told her he enjoyed reuniting with his older siblings.

"When we got back upstairs, I'm like, 'Did you enjoy that?" He's shaking his head, 'Yeah, yes, Mommy,'" Nelson recalled.

Today, Nelson said Tay is making progress in the rehabilition unit and can even walk. She and Tay's care team hope he can be discharged from the hospital on Thursday.

"He is doing so well. He has overcame so much and all the stepping stones we have for him, he knocked them right out of the water. A little trooper, a warrior, I mean, there are so many words I can use to describe him," the proud mom said.