Today host Karl Stefanovic’s warning to parents after daughter’s illness

The morning show host has opened up about the harrowing moment his daughter started to struggle with her breathing after contracting a common illness.

Karl Stefanovic has opened up about his family’s private struggle after his daughter was diagnosed with a highly contagious disease.

Three-year-old Harper was rushed to hospital after being unable to breathe and was later found to be one of 27,000 children diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the last 12 months.

RSV is an unpredictable respiratory virus that can cause severe illness like lung infections or pneumonia with potentially life-threatening consequences.

“Almost a year ago, my daughter Harper scared the living daylights out of us,” Stefanovic told Today viewers on Monday.

Karl Stefanovic details daughter Harper’s experience of contracting RSV. Picture: Today

Harper is his only child with wife Jasmin Stefanovic, 39, and the youngest of his four children.

A year on from the ordeal, the morning show host said the family was still rattled by the experience.

Just last week, Harper was taken to hospital after contracting a sickness at daycare.

“She had to go to hospital on Thursday night for something else entirely,” he said.

“It’s all similar, but it just freaks you out.”

Stefanovic said the hardest thing for the family was how quickly Harper deteriorated from what seemed like normal cold or flu symptoms when she first contracted RSV.

Stefanovic with wife Jasmine Yarby and Harper. Picture: Today

“The one hard thing hard for us was how quickly Harper went downhill,” he said.

“It felt like a normal cold and flu … the breathing became laboured and it got worse in a very quick amount of time.”

Stefanovic said it “scared the hell out of (him)” when Harper’s heart rate elevated and the family was forced to call their GP despite it being after hours.

Harper was struggling to breathe. Picture: Today

“We had a fantastic GP, some GPs won’t be open and also they’ve got so much on it’s hard to get in,” he said.

He said for many parents the next step was to consider taking their child to the emergency room, a decision not made lightly given how busy and understaffed they are across Australia.

The morning show host has since partnered with the Immunisation Foundation of Australia to inform parents on the warning signs.