It was a short-lived homecoming for the Barrow County toddler critically injured five months ago by a falling tree limb.
After leaving Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite on Friday, Tripp Halstead returned by ambulance to the emergency room Monday morning and was later re-admitted to the hospital, his family said. As of Tuesday afternoon, the 2-year-old remained hospitalized, his mother posted on the boy's Facebook page.
“Tripp had fought so hard for the past 5 months, and he is going to keep on fighting,” Stacy Halstead wrote shortly after 5 p.m. Monday.
Tuesday’s updates included the following: “Since Tripp can’t talk, I don’t know what he would say but I personally have never physically, emotionally or mentally hurt so bad till his accident,” Stacy Halstead wrote. “I live with a certain amount of hurt every single second of everyday. I hurt for Tripp. I hurt for what he is missing.”
The toddler had a difficult Sunday night that included a fever, vomiting, and elevated blood pressure, his family said. A nurse providing in-home care for Tripp urged the Halsteads to return to the hospital.
“We have seen all these symptoms but never all at once, so when our nurse got to the house, she confirmed that we should call 911 and she was right so here we are,” Stacy Halstead posted.
Doctors at the hospital determined through blood tests that Tripp's liver enzymes are elevated, the family said. Elevated liver enzymes can be indicative of a variety of conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Tripp was injured Oct. 29 when winds attributed to Hurricane Sandy brought a tree limb down on the playground of his daycare center. The limb fell onto the toddler’s head, fracturing his skull. Tripp has undergone more than a dozen surgeries since the accident.
Since the toddler’s injury, various community fundraisers have been held to benefit the Halstead family, including Monday at two Chik-fil-A restaurants in Paulding County.
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