The CHOP team performed a battery of tests including X-rays, ultrasound and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. The way the nursing staff took care of Pihu and us as parents, it was fantastic.” The hospital was very clean, and we didn’t feel any potential risk.
![burst appendix burst appendix](https://media.sciencephoto.com/image/c0221254/800wm/C0221254-Ruptured_Appendix.jpg)
“It was very organized and structured at every step. “At every stage, the CHOP team made us comfortable,” says Piyush. Once at CHOP, the family’s fears of exposure to COVID-19 melted away, as they saw the safety precautions in place throughout the hospital. When a blood test taken at the end of fourth week of initial onset of symptoms showed Pihu had an elevated white blood cell count, which suggested a serious infection, the family rushed an hour south to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). They were still hesitant to take Pihu to the emergency room due to COVID, so continued with regular checkups with their pediatrician, three times via in-person visits.
![burst appendix burst appendix](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/dailyjournalonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/93/89325b82-f0d2-11e2-b5eb-001a4bcf887a/51e9d86503ae9.image.jpg)
The family increased Pihu’s fluid intake, but the abdominal pain persisted. He said that with lots of fluids, she would feel like herself again soon. Based on that visit, the doctor felt Pihu’s symptoms were likely caused by a stomach bug. Together, they decided the best first step would be a telehealth visit. Pihu’s father, Piyush, contacted the family’s primary care doctor. The family had been diligently practicing physical distancing they didn’t want to risk exposing themselves or anyone else to the illness by taking their daughter to the doctor - but they needed help. Pihu’s parents were initially worried their daughter might even have COVID-19, having read that children can display GI symptoms at the onset of the illness. Their fears were heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was gripping the world and peaking near their home in Princeton, N.J. She had always been a healthy child, so her parents were concerned about the sudden onset and intensity of her symptoms.
![burst appendix burst appendix](https://www.epainassist.com/images/ruptured-appendix.jpg)
At the end of March, right around Pihu’s 12th birthday, she was overcome with stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.