A 35-year-old mother of identical twins has shared how one of her babies suffered a life-threatening condition after beating coronavirus while the other managed to escape unscathed.
When Hannah Godwin noticed 5-month-old Leia had a fever and a rash while lying next to ‘healthy and happy’ Thea, she rushed the little girl to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a mysterious inflammatory condition.
Blood tests showed that Leia has beaten Covid-19 despite not showing any symptoms. Doctors have been told to check for symptoms of ‘multi-system inflammation’ after ICU in London saw children with unusual signs, some of whom were diagnosed with coronavirus.
The youngster has spent three weeks in hospital while her twin sister Thea is at home. Medics have warned that even though Leia is no longer in critical care, she has a long road to recovery.
“We decided to take her into out-of-hours (GP surgery) to make sure, you know, there was nothing I’ve missed, but while there her temperature spiked,” Hannah shared. “That’s when they found the pin prick rash on her feet, which was what concerned them at the start.
“They weren’t worried about anything like Kawasaki or Covid – it was far from their minds – they started treating straight away for sepsis and meningitis.
“And then, over the next few days, then it got really difficult for her to breathe, she got transferred to critical care.”
Leia’s mother continued: “She went through a really, really scary time. It just went really out of hand, really quickly.”
The next day, doctors were warned about the mysterious syndrome affecting children.
“The consultant was very, very honest with me and said: ‘If there’s a rupture she’s not going to survive’. They’re trying to get them back down, she’s on all types of medication to stop any clotting or build-up or heart attacks or anything like that,” she expressed.
“We just watch and wait, that’s the phrase with Leia.”
Leia was transferred to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales where she tested positive for antibodies to coronavirus.
“All she sees is masks. It’s the worst time, you’re not allowed your partner with you, you’re not allowed any family visiting. You’re on your own going through it. It is horrendous,” she expressed.
Hannah said other parents should be aware of the risk the virus poses to children. “You have to take them to the doctor’s, if you think there’s something wrong with them,” she added. “God knows what could have happened if she hadn’t had the treatment she had early on.”
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