Girl develops 'devastating' brain condition after catching viruses - including Covid - as family issue warning
04.03.2024 - 21:59
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The sound any parent dreads - their little one screaming from their bed while becoming dangerously ill. That's the nightmarish sound Holly and Paul Mckie coming from their three-year-old daughter's room one night in 2021.
The youngster, Sophia, was discovered by her parents while having a terrifying seizure, and she had stopped breathing. The toddler was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital but her condition worsened, suffering 20 more seizures within 24 hours.
She was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), requiring full ventilation to keep her alive. Doctors found that Sophie was suffering from encephalitis, a disease which causes inflammation of the brain - as a result of a slew of viruses, including Covid-19, which were found in her system.
Now, the family are sharing an important warning after their young daughter's terrifying ordeal. They want to raise awareness of the dangers of encephalitis, the disease that almost stole away their little girl.
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Mum-of-two Holly, 30, said: “Sophia had been unwell with a virus, which had struck the whole family, but on the night of 3 December 2021, she suddenly deteriorated. She screamed from her bed and when we went to check her, she was seizing and stopped breathing. We called an ambulance, and she was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital.”
Dad Paul, 38, added:“They didn’t have a paediatrics ICU at Wythenshawe, so we were transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. It wasn’t our nearest specialist unit, but we were still in the thick of the pandemic and there were no beds available in Manchester or Liverpool.”
Doctors discovered Sophia had enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Covid-19. It’s