A mother is sharing her daughter’s story to raise awareness about the importance of protecting newborn babies from infections that can be pᴀssed through close contact. ❤️

Her daughter, Breelynn, was born healthy and thriving. But when she was just two days old, someone affectionately kissed her on the mouth, unaware they had an active cold sore.

That simple act led to a life-changing infection.

Two weeks later, Breelynn began suffering seizures. Doctors later diagnosed her with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE), a rare but serious brain infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). 🏥

Because her immune system was still developing, the virus spread to her brain, causing severe inflammation and permanent damage.

Speaking about the experience, Breelynn’s mother said:

“When parents ask people not to kiss their babies, this is one of the reasons why.”
“She was born perfectly healthy. At two days old, someone was so excited to meet her that they kissed her on the mouth. Two weeks later, she started having seizures.” 💔
Doctors explained that the virus entered the fluid surrounding her brain, severely damaging brain tissue.

“It affected the left side of her brain the most,” her mother shared. “It had just begun spreading to the right side when doctors caught it.”

Around 60% of the left side of Breelynn’s brain and about 10% of the right side were affected.

Although she has surpᴀssed many of her doctors’ expectations with her determination and resilience, Breelynn continues to live with lifelong neurological challenges. 💙

Despite everything her family has endured, her mother says she holds no anger toward the person who kissed her daughter.

“It was an accident. They never intended for this to happen,” she said. 🤍
Since sharing Breelynn’s story, thousands of parents have expressed surprise that a simple kiss could expose a newborn to such a serious infection.

Many admitted they had never realized the risks, while others said the story encouraged them to be more cautious around newborn babies.

Breelynn’s family hopes their experience will help raise awareness that, while kisses are often an expression of love, newborns have fragile immune systems and can be especially vulnerable to infections. They encourage parents and visitors to take simple precautions—such as avoiding kissing babies on the face or mouth, especially if they have a cold sore or feel unwell—to help keep the youngest children safe. 👶❤️