Son Collapses After Football. DRs Said He Was Just 'Tired,' Mother Knew They Were Wrong
Hudson Cromwell was a healthy 7-year-old boy. Almost nobody, not even his father, immediately suspected the severity of Hudson’s condition one day in October 2012.
His mother, Kerry Cromwell, used her knowledge as a nurse and even more so her intuition as his mom to get Hudson the help he needed. It all began with a casual football game in his own backyard.
He ran around with his brothers outside and eventually came inside crying. This scene seemed pretty typical from his father’s perspective.
Andrew Cromwell thought his son was crying from exhaustion and simply needed to rest. Hudson was holding his right arm and later fell over while taking off his shoes.
Hudson’s confused expression raised his dad’s suspicions a bit. Andrew Cromwell noticed his son felt weak so he picked him up.
Hudson suddenly lost consciousness. The young boy was not able to speak, and his eyes rolled back.
Andrew Cromwell was alarmed and believed his son might be suffering from a concussion. Kerry Cromwell arrived home as the scene was unfolding and knew to call 911 right away.
She told her husband she did not think it was a concussion, though it was a seemingly logical conclusion considering Hudson’s symptoms began after playing football. Doctors were not tuned into Kerry Cromwell’s intuition and only gave Hudson an MRI after she insisted.
The bright white spots on Hudson’s brain revealed by the MRI indicated a possible stroke. One doctor made a comment about children not having strokes, but Hudson’s parents knew they needed to pursue a further tests for Hudson.
He was taken to the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital. Doctors there confirmed Hudson was not just tired from a concussion.
Andrew Cromwell told TODAY, “We want to encourage parents to be advocates for their children … Sometimes it means looking beyond what is offered.”
He did indeed have a stroke, but the problems continued even after the diagnosis. Hudson ended up in a coma because too much pressure built up in his skull.
He needed to relearn basic tasks such as swallowing, eating, and walking because the right side of his body was weakened by the stroke.
Hudson, now 12, has been described by his parents as a happy and independent preteen who doesn’t let the effects of the stroke weigh him down, though his ability to use his right hand and remember the right words is still affected by a stroke some doctors deemed nearly impossible to be true.
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