Heartbreak has engulfed a family in Bristol after their two-year-old son died suddenly at home, years after first showing signs of a rare and potentially fatal childhood condition.
A Sudden Collapse and a Family's Despair
Hudson Martin, from Knowle, was playing at home on January 8 when he collapsed, just weeks before he was due to celebrate his third birthday. Despite paramedics and specialist teams working for over an hour in a desperate attempt to save him, the little boy could not be revived.
His mother, Natalie Smith, 39, who was trained to perform CPR and monitor his condition, was the first to try to save her son. Hudson had even seemed to sense something was wrong, attempting to go upstairs for help before losing consciousness.
"They did absolutely everything they could," said his father, Damien Martin, 40. "His heart just wouldn't come back." Hudson died at home that day.
A Long Battle with a Misunderstood Illness
Hudson's health struggles began when he was just seven months old. He became seriously unwell with what initially appeared to be flu-like symptoms. After repeated tests and ruling out other conditions, he was finally diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.
This rare illness causes inflammation in the blood vessels and can lead to lasting heart damage. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose, often mistaken for flu, measles, or other common childhood infections. There is no single test, meaning diagnosis typically only occurs after other illnesses are excluded.
By the time Hudson was diagnosed, he required intensive treatment including intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and infliximab. He spent around five weeks in hospital before being discharged in October 2024. Although he improved, the disease had caused irreversible harm.
Living Joyfully with Lasting Damage
The Kawasaki disease left Hudson with giant aneurysms in his coronary arteries—among the most severe his doctors had seen. He was placed on lifelong medication, including aspirin and blood thinners, to reduce the risk of clots.
Despite this, he lived a vibrant and seemingly normal life. "You'd never know anything was wrong from pictures or videos," Damien Martin told Bristol Live. "He bounced off everything. He loved climbing, dancing, music; he was a proper daredevil."
Adored by his three brothers, Hudson was a fiercely independent little boy with a huge personality. He bruised easily and had occasional nosebleeds due to his medication but remained full of life.
A Quest for Answers and a Plea for Awareness
A post-mortem examination is being carried out in Southampton, but the family has been warned it could take up to a year for full results. Doctors suspect his sudden death may have been caused by a clot or rupture linked to the damage from Kawasaki disease.
"We don't know what happened," Natalie said. "It could have been a clot, a rupture - we just don't know. That's the hardest part."
Now, through their unimaginable grief, Hudson's parents are determined to raise awareness of the disease. They urge other parents to trust their instincts and push for further checks if something feels wrong, stressing that early treatment can be critical.
The family, who visit Hudson daily in the Rainbow Room at Bristol Royal Infirmary, are now facing the agony of arranging his funeral. Loved ones have set up a GoFundMe page to support them, describing Hudson as "the apple of his mum and dad's eye."
