Toddler goes into a COMA after being bitten by TICK

When Kayla Oblisk found a tick on her two-year-old son Jackson's neck, she was naturally concerned. But she had no idea that the tiny mite would almost kill her son.

The Kentucky mum told Good Morning America that she didn’t think anything was wrong until her son developed a roaring fever – reaching over 40 degrees.

Then she noticed tiny red spots popping up all over Jackson’s body and brought him to a doctor, but she was told not to be too concerned.

“We were told it's a viral rash, it's going to go away, you just have to wait it out, there's really nothing we can do,” she explained.

However, it didn’t go away, and the toddler began losing interest in food, appeared lethargic, and screamed in pain when he was touched.

Jackson was rushed to hospital – and not a moment too soon, as he fell into a coma when he arrived there and remained asleep for almost a week.

“I didn't know if I was ever going to see my kid's face again but he had woken up,” his mum said.

The little boy opened his eyes once again on his second birthday. He is steadily getting stronger and is talking and eating a little more each day.

There will be some rehab involved in Jackson's treatment plan, but his family expect he will be discharged soon from Norton Children's Hospital, where he's been staying for the last few weeks.

For more information and ticks visit healthdirect.gov.au/tick-bites.