An eight-year-old boy has been struggling to eat, drink and breathe after a simple kiss to his mother left him with a group of awful cold sores on his mouth.
Donna Reid, 43, was playing with her son Jake on a half term trip to Surrey when the youngster leant over and kissed his mum - not realising she had a contagious cold sore.
Now, five days later, Jake has been left bedbound with an intense fever, swollen lips and cold sore breakouts all around his mouth.
He has been diagnosed with the herpes simplex virus, which causes the appearance of cold sores.
The Ipswich youngster has had to take a week off school, with high temperatures of 102° over the last five days and barely being able to eat.
Mum Donna says the virus has been a "complete shock" and is urging other parents with cold sores to be vigilant around young children.
"I knew they were contagious but I didn't think he would end up like this," said Donna, a photographer and videographer, who primarily shoots newborns and weddings in and around Ipswich.
"One little kiss was all it took and now he's been bed ridden.
"It really has been a big scare as you don't expect something so common to have such a bad effect on someone, especially at Jake's age."
Donna has had to cancel two of her photography sessions this week due to her own cold sore, as she knows the severity of the risk they pose for young children.
Babies who are kissed by someone with a cold sore can develop neonatal herpes, a virus which is more serious and can sometimes even be fatal.
More: Why you should never kiss a newborn on the lipsDr Mark Shenton, a GP in Stowmarket and chairman of NHS Ipswich and east Suffolk clinical commissioning group, said: "Cold sores are common and usually clear up on their own within a week to 10 days. They have a habit of being recurrent.
"They are contagious from the moment you first feel tingling until the time it has completely healed. It is important you don't kiss anyone or share anything that comes into contact with the cold sore, such as cutlery, until it has completely healed.
"It is especially important not to kiss babies as this could lead to neonatal herpes and which can be more serious for a young baby.
"If you have a cold sore your pharmacist can offer a cream to help ease pain and irritation, and, if used promptly can prevent the sore developing."
For more information regarding the cold sore virus you can see some general NHS advice here.
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