On the Front Lines of the H1N1 Pandemic

Oct. 27, 2009— -- The flu season is barely under way, but a sharp rise in the number of H1N1 swine flu cases is already stretching scarce resources at many hospitals.

At the University of California, Davis, Medical Center, in Sacramento, there's been a four-fold increase in H1N1 cases in just three weeks.

One of those cases is 4-year-old Ferris Labban, who is fighting off a nasty infection.

"Ferris basically went from having the typical flu to a complete collapse of lung and pneumonia in a week," Ferris' mother Wendy Labban said. "This H1N1 is completely aggressive, the way it affects our child's body was unbelievable."

Due to the severity of Ferris' condition, doctors inserted a tube into his left lung to drain it of fluid.

"The care that he got here was around the clock," Labban told "Nightline."

Round-the-clock treatment for H1N1 patients is typical in the pediatric intensive care unit. Nearly half the kids admitted to hospitals with a case of the H1N1 virus wind up in intensive care. No part of the hospital is under more strain than pediatrics.

Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET

"We're scared about H1N1 and how severe it can be and the resources it needs and the toll it is going to take on all of our staff," said Dr. Mac Wayment, a specialist in pediatric critical care.

Two weeks ago in the same hospital room where Ferris was being treated, "Nightline" met Benjamin Oback, who was also infected with a severe case of the H1N1 virus. Then in critical condition, the 10-year-old was fighting for every breath. His parents prayed and stood vigil.

"I feel like part of my soul has been crushed," Benjamin's father Eric Oback told "Nightline." "It's the worst imaginable feeling to see your kid fall that quickly and to be that ill. The night that he went to the emergency room was the scariest moment I've had in my entire life."

Benjamin's mother, Julie Oback, said her son appeared to have a minor case of the flu earlier this month, but quickly "became unresponsive" and was rushed to the hospital.