Boy, 4, was suffering from a common childhood virus – then he 'didn't wake up'

A four-year-old boy nearly died after his common childhood virus deteriorated.

Dougie MacKay contracted two types of ; flu A and flu B, while in hospital with croup, a common virus which affects children. He came home but was rushed back to hospital in an ambulance after his condition worsened.

The youngster's mum Ellie and dad Gordon were told their son’s lung had collapsed due to empyema, a condition which sees a build-up of pus between the lungs and chest cavity. The terrified parents, who run a baby class business, Baby Sensory Preston, were also told Dougie was suffering pneumonia and .

The little boy was intubate and stabilised before being rushed to for specialist treatment. It was followed by the "most worrying 24 hours" of the parents’ lives.

Dougie and his parents, from Preston, Lancashire, were isolated in the hospital due to his flu A and B diagnosis and when he was taken out of sedation, he failed to wake up.

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“This was honestly the most worrying 24 hours of our lives as we were told he should have regained consciousness but hadn’t,” Ellie said. Dougie eventually came round and spent a few days recuperating on the ward.

He was in the Royal Children’s Hospital for 12 nights, including eight in intensive care, before being discharged. Since then, he has had several months of follow up care and gone on to make a full recovery.

Ellie said: "Dougie is the youngest of four children and we had never been through anything like this with our older children. The care and treatment he received at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital was astounding. We were in absolute awe."

When Dougie initially didn't wake up, a family friend – also the crew mate of the paramedic who first transferred Dougie to hospital – compiled a video of supportive messages, reports .

The messages all came from children who were either in Dougie’s nursery class or toddlers sense class, or were from families whose children were attending other Preston Baby Sensory classes. The group thought that the voices and familiarity would help to wake Dougie from sedation.

Dougie began to wake up but wasn’t verbal or interacting. Ellie and Gordon then showed him the video and he instantly started crying.

Since then, Ellie and Gordon set themselves a challenge they named ‘Dougie’s Dozen’ to raise money for the hospital that saved their son. The family is set to complete their fundraising challenge this weekend at the Greater Manchester Run – and they’re hopeful they might exceed their original £8,000 target.

Their son Finley, 15, will be taking on the event’s 10km run. Daughters Maisie, 12, and Matilda, nine-years-old, will take on the junior event, while Dougie is poised for the 1.6km mini run.

“The nursing staff took such incredible care of our boy that at times it brought us to tears. So many small elements made our stay and our son’s recovery a thousand times easier,” Ellie continued.

“We cannot thank the hospital enough. We were determined to give something back and came up with the idea of ‘Dougie’s Dozen’ – challenging ourselves to complete 12 fundraising activities over 12 months to recognise the 12 nights Dougie spent in hospital.

“We’re really looking forward to taking on this year’s Great Manchester Run as a family and completing our year of fundraising on a high! Exceeding our original goal of £8,000 would be the cherry on the cake and we’re really grateful for the support everyone has shown us.”

The family’s business, along with their children’s play café, has been a major part of the MacKay family’s fundraising for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The business has put on a number of themed baby sensory and toddler sense classes, including a mini-Olympics, with ticket sales supporting their fundraising target.

Other fundraising activities have included family members taking part in the hospital charity’s annual abseil. Ellie and Gordon also recently completed the 2025 London Marathon as first-time marathon runners.

Angela Rowe, deputy director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity said: “It’s great to hear that Dougie is well and thriving after his time in hospital and we’re extremely grateful to the MacKay family and their Baby Sensory customers for their fundraising.

"Through their inspiring, inventive and community-led fundraising they’ve raised a remarkable amount which will make a difference for patients and families cared for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. We can’t wait to see them cross the finish line.”

The family’s JustGiving page can be found .