Buttigieg Reveals Infant Son Was Intubated and Fought for Life in ICU with RSV

What was said

"The image I can't get out of my mind is how tiny he was. All this gear, like, coming out, coming out of his throat. And there's only one question we really care about, of course, which is like, is he getting better? How will we know when he's getting better? And basically what they told us was, you'll know he's getting better when he stops getting worse."

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg disclosed the harrowing experience of his newborn son Gus being hospitalized and intubated in an ICU while battling RSV, a respiratory virus that can be life-threatening for infants. Buttigieg described the powerlessness of watching his son, weighing less than 10 pounds, deteriorate to the point of needing mechanical ventilation and emergency transfer to a larger hospital. The experience profoundly shaped his views on healthcare access and the importance of paid parental leave.