Deklan Galvanek's parents say he started getting sick three weeks ago. It has been an intense and exhausting few weeks for his parents.
Jenna Galvanek, Deklan's mother, hasn't left the hospital, and hasn't been outside and breathed in fresh air since last Friday.
Both of Deklan's parents say, at times, they felt like they were losing their baby.
"I think the hardest part is not being able to pick up and give him a kiss," said Jenna. "You know we have the masks and the gowns to protect him and protect us from passing anything."
In a three week time span, Deklan went from a healthy child to the brink of death. He contracted H1N1 and at eight-months-old. He barely has an immune system to battle the illness.
He's being cared for right now at the UNC's Children's Hospital after being rushed there for medical attention.
"His heart was beating at 280 beats per minute," said father Evan Galvanek.
"Our heads were spinning," said Jenna. "We had no idea what was going on. Everything is beeping. There's lot of doctors going in and out. It was just the scariest thing ever."
Deklan's parents said it all started off with common signs for the flu like runny nose, and coughing, but then he got an ear infection and things escalated rapidly.
"He started vomiting up the antibiotics and his color changed," said Evan.
The child is now getting medication to control his heart, and diuretics to get fluids out of his body. He's in stable condition, but still under constant care as he's fighting the strain.
The state announced Thursday that eight more people have died in North Carolina in the last week because of the flu. That brings the total number of deaths to 74.
Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated. The CDC says vaccine is available for children 6 months and older.
Click here for more information from the CDC
Deklan's parents are wholeheartedly putting their faith into the doctors to save their little boy and hoping one day soon they'll be able they able to hold him, hug him and finally take him home.
"It's so stressful for us. We just sit here and wait every day," said Evan. "And I sleep, I wake up. I go to work now and we just wait and hope that he gets better and they play with settings and there's small improvements, but I feel like we really having taken a step off that plateau."
With no definitive end in sight when their child will get better and be released from the hospital, medical bills are mounting for these parents. A fundraiser has been set up to help the family.
Click here for updates to Deklan's condition.
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