A child of years with a progressive lifelong condition returned home after weeks in the hospital with Covid.
Seth Burke contracted the virus a few days after becoming the first wheelchair user to be a Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament in the UK.
He is more vulnerable to the effects due to his condition and has been fighting for his life in intensive care.
Seth said he didn’t want that no one else would go through this “terrifying” experience and urged people to get vaccinated.
Seth has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which made his covid treatment more complex.
Tested positive for Covid on December and started to get worse a few days later when her temperature went up and she felt really bad.
He was taken to the Univ Hospital Welsh Warden in Cardiff and, after his condition deteriorated further, he was admitted to intensive care, where he was put on non-invasive ventilation to help him breathe.
On Christmas Day, his parents prepared for the worst when his lung collapsed, but he recovered and finally returned home a few days ago.
Seth said the whole situation was “pretty scary”.
“I really didn’t know what was going on at the time, it’s a bit blurry”, he said.
“There were a lot of machines and beeps. They were very loud, they weren’t very nice and I just wanted to go home”.
Seth’s mother and father, Lisa and John Burke, said they had to face the possibility of losing him.
“I think that on that Christmas morning, when I had to call Lisa and tell her that it had really gone downhill, I was really scared”, says the father.
“All these things happen through your mind and there is a possibility that you will lose it”.
“Fortunately, he had all the support of the doctors and nurses in the intensive care unit, who were really brilliant, and we managed to pull it off ”.
“I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time.”
By New Year’s Day, Seth had recovered and was out of the intensive care unit and back in a hospital room playing and watching television.
No em However, you will feel the impact of covid for some time. His parents said he is much weaker and gets tired a lot.
The family is having a late Christmas celebration. (FAMILY PHOTO)His lungs need to be repaired and he has support ventilation to help him breathe at night.
Seth will also not be able to join his friends at school yet due to fears of other strains of the virus. He will have his first dose of the vaccine next month.
John Burke said his son was a “true fighter” and added: “I am incredibly proud of him.
“I know adult patients who couldn’t take half of it”.
“He is really resistant, really strong, he always has a smile on his face and just wants to make a joke and talk to people”.
The family will now have late Christmas celebrations. Finally you can open your presents together and have a real dinner.
Seth said he hopes his story is an impactful message.
“I don’t want anyone to get sick as much as I do and I want people to be well”, he said.
“If you don’t feel well, get tested and, if you can get vaccinated, get vaccinated”.
“Children can get Covid. I know people say they can’t, but they definitely can and I know because I’ve had it”.
“I want to thank all the doctors and nurses who have helped me improve”.
“I have had very good care, they have made me feel much better and all the doctors and nurses are very kind”.
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