Dad shares heartbreaking pic of girl, 5, fighting for life from Kawasaki disease ‘weeks after beating coronavirus’
A DAD has shared a devastating photo of his “healthy” five-year-old girl who is fighting for her life with Kawasaki disease.
Piers Roberts says his family has been “broken” after his daughter Scarlett suddenly fell ill with the bug – just weeks after beating coronavirus.
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Scarlett suffered from a mild bout of Covid-19 five weeks ago which she recovered from, but is now in intensive care with a Kawasaki inflammatory response.
Her dad said she was given just a 20 per cent chance of survival from the disease, which inflames blood vessels and is believed to be a reaction to coronavirus.
‘FIT AND WELL’
He said Scarlett contracted Covid-19 in school before the lockdown, and described his daughter as “fit and well” six weeks before she suddenly suffered multi-organ failure.
His aunt, June, also shared the heartbreaking picture of the five-year-old hooked up to a ventilator.
She wrote on Twitter: “This is my five-year-old great niece. She was fit and healthy until a mild bout of Covid-19 five weeks ago from which she appeared to recover.
“She is now in ICU with a Kawasaki inflammatory response.
“She is off the ventilator but has developed heart problems.”
It was revealed yesterday that an eight-month-old baby died from the coronavirus-linked Kawasaki disease, becoming the UK’s youngest known victim.
Little Alexander Parsons died on April 25 from the rare childhood illness which inflames blood vessels.
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Medics have renamed the deadly condition as PIMS-TS, in the battle against Covid-19.
England’s health service had alerted at the end of April that cases of children in intensive care with “a multi-system inflammatory state” were rising.
Children were displaying overlapping symptoms of severe COVID-19, toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease.
What is Kawasaki disease and what are the signs?
The disease is also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
According to the NHS, the disease primarily affects children under five years of age.
The blood vessels become swollen which can lead to complications in the coronary arteries (the blood vessels which supply blood to the heart).
Kawasaki disease can cause aneurysms which can lead to a heart attack and heart disease.
These the signs to look out for are:
- swollen glands in the neck
- rashes
- lips which appear to be dry and cracked
- red eyes
- red fingers and toes
- a high temperature that lasts for over 5 days
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