If you have ever personally experienced the impacts of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), you know how traumatic it can truly be. If you've only ever heard the term RSV, it's time to really listen up and pay attention to all the warning signs during this time of year when the disease is at its peak so you can watch out for the little ones in your life.

On December 19th, a mom from Illinois had a terrifying experience with her 5-month-old son who was diagnosed with RSV and she shared her story on Facebook to raise awareness, share her emotional journey, and highlight the warning signs of the dangerous infection.

Lindsay Prior, the mom from Illinois, was so brave to share her families story, which she has outlined as, " the scariest/worst feeling" a parent could feel. Four days before writing the post, the 35-year-old needed to rush her 5-month-old son Zeke to the emergency room, where doctors told her that the little boy was experiencing respiratory failure.

"The hospital scene was like something out of Grey's[Anatomy]," Prior, who works at a local daycare, tells Parents.com. "There were 10 nurses and doctors surrounding him. Fast talking, shoving IVs in, getting him on oxygen. I was terrified at this point."

She explained how the doctors asked her if her son had any allergies and if he was a preemie (he wasn't). They also wanted to know if he had any other issues like asthma, which he did not. As soon as he was settled in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) doctor ran down to discuss the machine he was eventually put on called NIV NAVA. The machine assists with breathing through a tube down his nose into his diaphragm and was newer technology and the last ditch effort to not intubate him.

The machine needed to be set to very high levels of assistance, as he was hooked up to it, and the next 48 hours were still touch and go, she described, as they talked multiple times about possibly intubating him.

Zeke was them diagnosed with RSV, and while every child does get exposed to it before their second birthday, many parents are still very unaware of the symptoms. It is a common, but highly contagious virus that targets the lungs and respiratory system and usually presents like the common cold. Whenever young children, specifically babies, contract RSV, it's very dangerous and can lead to pneumonia.

READ NEXT: One-Third Of US Parents Plan To Skip Flu Shots For Their Kids