Jill Duggar & Derick Dillard’s Son Suffers Burn, Infection, Sickness And Bites

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s 22-month old son Israel has suffered a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad first few days back in El Salvador.

Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard, and their son safely arrived back in El Salvador last month, as reported by People. The family has been trying to readjust to life on the mission field, but this hasn’t been easy for poor Israel. According to a blog post on the Dillard Family website, the toddler has been plagued by problems ever since his return to Central America.

Jill Duggar writes that Israel was happy when he first arrived “home,” and he thoroughly enjoyed getting “lots of hugs and kisses” from some of his friends in El Salvador. He was also excited to play with some of the toys that he had to leave behind when his family left the mission field for a six-month vacation. However, the tot’s fortunes quickly reversed; he and his parents all got sick, and things just went downhill from there.

“The first few days we were here, amidst the settling in and busy schedule, Israel and I (Jill) were battling coughs and colds and Israel developed a low-grade fever, which we quickly noticed was as a result of an eye infection (he first had this at the beginning of our last time here when he was only 8 months old),” Jill Duggar writes. “Thankfully it hasn’t been as bad as the first time!”

Jill’s blog post may explain the images of Israel that caused so much controversy early last year and late in 2015. In a few of Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s social media photos, one of Israel’s eyes is red and swollen. As CafeMom reports, some fans thought that the toddler’s eye was bruised. This is the first time that Jill and Derick have addressed the speculation about Israel’s eye.

Unfortunately for Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s globe-trotting toddler, a cold and an eye infection were just the start of his suffering in Central America. Israel was also bitten by ants, and he burned his hand with scalding hot water.

“Israel and I were also welcomed ‘home’ by a couple of fire ant bites (something we aren’t used to back home in NW Arkansas). Oh, and our second night here Israel decided to test out the instant hot water dispenser and quickly learned it wasn’t a toy when some of the water came out on his hand. We cooled the burn and applied burn salve and he only had a little redness in the morning.”

According to Jill and Derick, they turned off the hot water so that Israel can’t hurt himself again. They’re also hoping to prevent any future ailments or injuries using the power of prayer.

“We frequently pray for protection from bacteria, accidents and other things that would complicate things or send us running to the doctor,” Jill writes.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s fans aren’t just worried about Israel’s health; they’re also concerned about Jill’s unborn child. Jill is expected to give birth sometime in July, so many fans were surprised that she and Derick decided to return to the mission field last month instead of waiting until after their baby arrives. Jill wants to give birth in Arkansas, so she and her family will only be in El Salvador for three or four months before they head back home.

The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that can cause devastating birth defects, is a serious problem in El Salvador, so many fans think that Jill is being reckless by going back to the country. As the Inquisitr previously reported, there’s also concern about Jill Duggar flying so late in her pregnancy.

Jill and Derick haven’t addressed the concerns about their unborn child, and they’ve only mentioned the Zika virus a few times.

“No, we haven’t had Zika that we know of,” they wrote in a July 2016 blog post.

However, the CDC reports that many people who get Zika don’t experience any symptoms, so the only way for a mother to know for certain that she’s not infected is to get tested for the virus.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have not revealed whether they’ll return to the mission field after the birth of their second baby boy, but Jill admits that she’s already struggling to care for one child in El Salvador.

“As my little Israel is running circles around me while I finish typing this update, I am reminded of my greatest mission field, my little family!” Jill Duggar writes in her February 28 blog post. “Although at times life can seem overwhelming, I’m so grateful for my sweet, supportive hubby who reminds me that ‘God’s grace is sufficient’ and encourages me when I wonder if my daily duties are enough.”

[Featured Image by The Dillard Family/Facebook]