My son, 7, had both his legs amputated after catching the FLU and Strep A at ... trends now

A sporty seven-year-old has had both his legs amputated after catching flu and Strep A at the same time.

Kaden Stevenson, from Michigan, began complaining of exhaustion before Christmas which his mother, Michele, assumed was just a common cold.

But she took him to the ER after his right leg swelled up, a rash erupted over his body and his limbs became so painful he could no longer put on shoes or a coat.

Doctors diagnosed the youngster with toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening condition where toxins released by bacteria damage tissue and put vital organs at risk of shutting down.

They believe his condition was caused by flu weakening his body to the point where normally mild Strep A triggered a severe infection.

He was helicoptered 100 miles to a specialist hospital within hours where medics fought to save his life. 

They could not rescue his legs, however, with the right needing to be amputated above the knee and the left just below.

Toxic shock syndrome can lead to amputation by damaging blood vessels, cutting off circulation to extremities like the hands and feet, or necrosis, or the death of body tissue.

Kaden was discharged from hospital this week wearing a superman cape and to smiles and applause from staff for the first time in months. 

His mother Michele says that her 'hero' misses his sporting days, but is looking forward to getting prosthetics.

The youngster was an avid soccer player and had also achieved his orange belt in Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art.

Speaking to Michigan news site WZZM13, Michele said: 'I've been calling him my superhero because he is mine.

'Everything that he does, he just tries so hard and never gives up. And then, even with learning how to do the wheelchair, he just takes off.

'When I think back to if I had done anything differently than what I had done, my son might not be here.

'If I had waited one more day, one more hour, he might not be here.'

Kaden came home from school in Grand Blanc, Michigan, one night just before Christmas complaining that he felt tired.

At first, Michele thought it was nothing serious and let him rest.

But when, four days later, his condition only seemed to be getting worse she rushed him to Hurley Children's Hospital in Flint.

There, an ER doctor sat her down and gave 'the most serious look I've ever seen a doctor give me', before saying that her son was 'really sick'. 

Within hours Kaden had been loaded onto a helicopter and flown to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, more than 100 miles away in Grand Rapids.

Tests revealed he had been infected with influenza and Strep A which had penetrated his bloodstream and deep into his tissues.

Strep A is a bacterial infection which, in serious cases, can spread into the bloodstream. Influenza is a virus which normally triggers cold-like symptoms.

Doctors diagnosed him with toxic shock syndrome, when Strep A bacteria get into the bloodstream and start to release toxins that can damage tissue and stop organs from working.

This differs from sepsis, which is when an overactive immune system causes damage to blood vessels and cells.

They spent two weeks fighting to save his life in hospital, but eventually had to make the heartbreaking decision to amputate both his legs.

Since then, he has been recovering in a rehabilitation center. He was discharged a week ago and is now waiting to get his prosthetic legs.

Talking about how her son is adjusting, Ms Stevenson told Good Morning America: 'He always talks about [how] he misses the old times and he misses when he could walk and how things used to be.

'But he said he's kind of happy. He likes his new legs.'