Human Metapneumovirus Sheffield: Parents’ warning signs after ‘worrying’ post Covid illness strikes baby

Her tiny son George was aged just five months when he was struck down with Human Metapneumovirus and rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The illness is a form of pneumonia which doctors say in normal times was something that children wouldn’t easily pick up, but because of covid and children not being exposed as much to viruses, the number of cases has been far higher than usual.

Faith, and partner Jack Allen, have also paid tribute to The Sick Children's Trust's 'Homes from Home' at Sheffield Children's Hospital, which helped her family when they needed help most.

Faith said: “My son George was born June 26, 2021, and, for the first five months of his life, was the happiest little boy. He was our first, and both me and Jack, George’s dad, enjoyed the usual ups and downs of being first-time parents.

“In mid-November, George picked up what we initially thought was a cold, having a runny nose and snuffles. We were advised to give him Calpol when necessary and generally keep an eye on him. Then, over the space of two days early in December, things took a dramatic turn for the worse. George stopped taking on milk, which was worrying, but then started struggling with his breathing and began sleeping far more than usual. Paramedics came out to see him but, after running tests on his heart and checking his oxygen levels, advised us to stay at home.

“Less than 24 hours later, George was completely unresponsive. We rushed him to the Accident and Emergency department at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where he was immediately taken to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) due to his worryingly low oxygen levels. He was put on high flow oxygen, and they also identified a shadow on his lungs, which they believed to be fluid. It felt like our world was falling apart, and I just didn’t want to leave his side. To see him laid up in hospital, connected by tubes and wires to various machines and showing no signs of the happy baby boy we knew, was completely devastating.”

Faith said the virus hit George hard because he was so small, making him incredibly poorly, to the point she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him. She spent the first night at the side of his bed, watching his monitors all through the night. She described it as utterly exhausting, but she was not going to leave him and wanted to be with him as much as I could, even though she did not know how that would be possible.

The Sick Children’s Trust then stepped in. She said: “The charity provides free of charge ‘Homes from Home’ to families with a seriously ill child in hospital, and I was so thankful that they offered us a place at Magnolia House. It is onsite at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, ensuring that we could stay as close as possible to George’s bedside whilst also providing a real sanctuary for us, which was much needed.

"Magnolia House gave us somewhere we could go for five minutes of peace, getting away from the constant beeping of the machines within the HDU without ever feeling like we were leaving George for too long. Our home in Rotherham is a good 30 minutes away from the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and I simply wouldn’t have been able to cope with travelling backwards and forwards all the time. Also, with covid still rife, we wanted to avoid meeting other people to minimise the risk not only to George but everyone, from patients to staff.

“As well as keeping us close, Magnolia House gave Jack and I a private space where we could spend time talking, getting our heads around the situation that George was in. As well as giving both of us the chance to come to terms with what was happening, we were also able to grab a shower and have a nap, which was invaluable. By looking after ourselves we would be able to look after George to the best of our ability, and thanks to Magnolia House and their amazing staff, we were able to do exactly that. If I’d stayed on the ward throughout, I think it would have taken a massive toll on me physically and mentally, if I’m honest.”

When George was eventually well enough to move away from HDU to a regular ward to continue his recovery, the charity kindly offered us a place in Treetop House, which is their other ‘Home from Home’ serving the hospital. George was finally allowed to go home on December 16, just in time for his first Christmas.

“While George was poorly, we prepared ourselves for the possibility of spending Christmas at the hospital,” added Faith. “ We would have made it as nice as we possibly could, but it was lovely to have our first Christmas at home. We took some presents to the nurses on the ward just before Christmas. We donate to the children’s hospital every year to ensure that the kids staying there get presents, but I was determined to make sure that the staff got some too because the work they do is unbelievable.

“George returned to the hospital for a check-up in January and they were happy with him, telling us that the shadow on his lung has now gone, thank goodness. It was a huge weight off our minds.”