Dillan's story
Rasmussen family opens up about rare condition
By Anika Rovig
When thinking about a typical day for 7-year-old Dillan Rasmussen, it would probably consist of hunting deer with his brother and father, riding 4-wheeler with his twin sister, maybe squeezing in a nap, asking Mom and Dad for some ice cream and to top it off, cuddles with his dog Bella. This is what a typical day might have looked like, but for the past month his days have been a polar opposite.
The Rasmussen family was excited the way the end of 2020 was slowly getting back to normal. With the proper precautions being taken throughout the whole pandemic, they thought their family had made it through the worst of it. Until, Darla Rasmussen, mother of Dillan, Dannika and Devan, tested positive for COVID-19 in January. Although her and her husband, Derrick Rasmussen, were told to keep an eye on the kids and watch for symptoms, they weren’t too concerned with any of their children at the time.
One day at work, Darla got a call from Dillan’s teacher saying that Dillan hadn’t been feeling well all day.
“It was super cold out then. I didn’t know if it was just from him being out at recess, all the cold air maybe giving him a headache,” Darla explained.
Around 10 p.m. Dillan was running a fever of 101 degrees. With mom and dad alternating between over-the-counter medications to help subside some of the discomfort, his symptoms seemed to incline, increasing in variety and severity.
