Keke Palmer Recalls Son Leo Getting Sick For The First Time & The Panic That Followed: ‘I Was Horrified’

Keke Palmer Recalls Son Leo Getting Sick For The First Time & The Panic That Followed: ‘I Was Horrified’

Keke Palmer says motherhood brought a new kind of fear when her son, Leodis “Leo” Andrellton Jackson, became sick for the first time as a baby.

“I was horrified,” Palmer, 33, told PEOPLE. “It’s a feeling that can come back to you so quickly.”

The Emmy Award-winning actress said the experience was especially difficult because of how vulnerable her newborn seemed.

“This is the first time that you’ve ever loved somebody like this, and they’re so helpless in this situation,” she explained.

Palmer welcomed Leo, now 3, with ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson in February 2023. She admitted becoming responsible for another person’s health forced her to adjust quickly to parenthood.

“Every millennial now that’s a parent is like, ‘I’m the new adult? What do you mean I’m the one who has to make these extreme decisions about somebody’s life — somebody that I love so much?’” she said.

Palmer credits her parents, Sharon and Lawrence “Larry” Palmer, with helping her navigate those unfamiliar moments.

“My parents are a huge support to me, and they are always helping me stay informed,” she said. “They tell me what they did, but they also empower me [to figure it out on my own].”

Palmer recently partnered with Sanofi to raise awareness about RSV and Beyfortus, a preventive antibody for infants. She learned about the treatment through Leo’s pediatrician.

“Obviously, like any mother, you’re scared and you want to figure out the best way to help your baby, and I realized that it was the right thing for me and for Leo, to help protect him against the serious lung infections that can be caused by RSV,” Palmer said.

Moms, did you experience this type of anxiety during the newborn phase?