Freeport H Pal

Hello, my name is La Von, and I found out I had Herpes in 2003. I knew little about Herpes until my youngest son was born in 2002 with it. He was two months premature, and became sick at about 14 days of age. After extensive testing I found out he had contracted Herpes Simplex 2 from me. By the time it was discovered my son had Herpes Simplex 2 it had got into his spinal fluid and around his brain. The virus caused Brain Damage. I was in shock at first, and could not understand how he had got it from me when I had never had a break out. I was under the misunderstanding that it was included in the basic STD tests ran when you get pregnant.

My son was over a year old when I finally got tested and found out my fiancé and I both have Herpes Simplex 2. As soon as I found out I balled, and did not know how I was going to go on knowing that some day my fiancé would not be around and I would want to find a new partner. I thought my life was over. Then I realized that I needed to get up and go on, and find out everything I could about this virus. I have done alot of research on Herpes Simplex, and Neonatal Herpes. I have dealt with having to be a stay at home mom, because people don't want to take care of a disabled child let alone a child with Herpes too.

I came across the Yoshi2me support group while I was checking out new information on Herpes. I am lucky to never have had a break out, but I have dealt with my son having several break outs over the last couple of years. I have learned to live with the fact that my son contracted Herpes from me, and that he may never walk. My son is a constant reminder of what Herpes can do to a child, and because of that I want to help as many people as I can. Your life does go on when you have Herpes, but if you have support and learn all you can about this virus it makes life easier.

I am hoping to help as many people as I can with Herpes, and to get it known how easy it is to get Herpes. I hope by doing so that the chances of another child or parent will not have to go through what my family has gone through. My son almost died due to the Herpes Simplex 2 virus, and there are so many people out there that are unaware of how this may effect not only them, but their children too. To change just one life with my story and support will make it worth me contracting Herpes. I admit in the beginning I wished I could turn back time, but I can't. So, I want to make me having Herpes Simplex 2 an advantage to being able to help make it more known. - Lavon

Note from Yoshi2me

Please note that what has happened to La Von and her son is not the norm. Women with herpes can have healthy babies and even with a vaginal delivery. It's the women that don't know that they have herpes OR that their partner has herpes OR have contracted herpes for the first time during the third trimester that can sometimes develop complications during labor and delivery.

For the most part though.. mom's with herpes are going on suppressive therapy the last six weeks or so of their pregnancy and delivering healthy babies via vaginal delivery. (You can read my herpes and pregnancy story over on my herpes biography.)

One other thing to note is that the winter 2004 issue of "The Helper" is devoted to Managing Herpes in Pregnancy which also features an interview with Zane Brown, MD - a national Herpes Expert at the University of Washington. Doctor Zane Brown has also noted that the real risk is to those women who initially acquire genital herpes in the last trimester of pregnancy. In other words - those at high risk are clearly women who get herpes during their pregnancy and NOT women who already have genital herpes when they become pregnant.

You can order the Helper magazine through the American Social Health Association (ASHA) of the Herpes Resource Center (HRC). All the proceeds go towards furthering herpes research. - Angela

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