A ONE-YEAR-OLD girl has fully recovered from coronavirus despite also battling two underlying conditions.
Baby Leah Peters, from Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom, was hospitalised after falling ill and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, but the "little fighter" is no stranger to beating the odds.
Born prematurely at 32 weeks, Leah was born with a congenital heart defect and also suffers from chronic lung disease, and has spent much of her young life in and out of hospitals for surgery and treatment.
Her parents, Agata and Michael Peters, have thanked the NHS for the "amazing" care their daughter received which assisted in their little one successfully fighting off the respiratory disease.
"Little fighter" Leah Peters: Photograph: Peters family/ NHSReminiscing on their daughter's hospitalisation, Agata said they initially weren't two worried when Leah developed a cough, as she has two sisters aged four and five, and "we assumed it was a cold or another bug they had brought home".
“Because of Leah’s heart condition we have a nurse come to visit her at home every week. The nurse took her stats and as they were a bit low and combined with the cough she called an ambulance and we were taken to the emergency department at Pilgrim hospital where she was given oxygen and she picked up a bit.
“If was only later when we were on the ward that we heard that she had tested positive for Coronavirus. We really were surprised. Because of Leah’s existing conditions we had talked about Coronavirus and feared if she caught it she would really struggle. But she is a little fighter and has surprised us all. She was sent home the day after we received the test results and is doing really well at the moment.”
Leah is due to have another heart operation later this summer, and while her parents worry that the pandemic may delay the surgery, they have complete trust in NHS staff who they say have been "amazing".
Even through all of the protective personal equipment (PPE) they have to wear, they have been so sweet and caring. We couldn’t have asked for any more from the team at Boston. Thank you just isn’t enough, it doesn’t describe how grateful we all are.”
Over 130 patients hospitalised with Covid-19 in Leah's hospital, Lincolnshire's Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, have been discharged after recovering from the disease.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Deputy Executive Mark Brassington said that his message to everyone inspired by Leah's story is this: "Thank you for supporting the NHS and doing your bit by staying home.
"It really is making a difference so please keep it up!”
