He had contracted a rare and aggressive infection known as Haemophilus influenzae — commonly referred to as Hib.

It can cause upper respiratory tract infections, but it can also lead to serious and potentially life-threatening conditions like meningitis and sepsis.

In Liam’s case, the bacteria quickly developed into deadly meningitis.

“At that point in time, that’s when there was nothing they could do,” Ashlee told WHTR. “Anybody that contracts it usually dies within 24 hours.”

Despite Liam being fully vaccinated, doctors believe he may have contracted the infection from an unvaccinated child— something that’s becoming more common as vaccination rates decline across the U.S.

A silent, fast-moving killer

Hib is not the flu, despite its name.

In Liam’s case, it moved rapidly —turning a simple headache into a fatal brain infection overnight.

Doctors performed an MRI and found that the bacteria had already spread