There's nothing quite like a good story about defying the odds, and the story of Erin Bates is all that and then some. The UK infant is being dubbed a "miracle baby" this week after not only surviving heart surgery shortly after her birth last year, but also surviving the coronavirus — which she contracted while still in the hospital.
Her mother, Emma Bates, told the BBC that she was "heartbroken" after learning her daughter's diagnosis.
The 6-month-old, who lives in Greater Manchester, UK, with her parents, was treated for the illness in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, a place the family have come to know well. Erin was being treated there for a heart condition and windpipe problems, which arose shortly after her birth in October.
However, they likely never dreamt their little girl would contract the deadly COVID-19 while safe behind hospital walls.
Erin's very arrival was a long time coming for the couple, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up for the family.
Prior to her birth on October 8, 2019, Emma and Wayne allegedly tried to get pregnant for 10 years. But their happiness over little Erin's arrival was dimmed just one month later.
"On the 29th of November their world crashed around them when they discovered Erin had a rare and serious heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallots," the GoFundMe page explained.
She was hospitalized December 14, and underwent open heart surgery December 23, followed by several months in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Finally, on April 10, her parents got the news about her coronavirus diagnosis, and couldn't believe their ears.
Two weeks ago, Emma and her husband, Wayne, reported that their daughter was in stable condition.
"But with most viruses we are waiting to see if it has peaked yet, [since] things can change quickly," Wayne told the BBC.
Luckily, baby Erin didn't take a turn, as so many infected with the virus have been known to do.
"The hospital staff has been amazing," Wayne shared at the time. "People need to stay home and keep safe."
In fact, that's precisely why the parents chose to speak out about Erin's story -- to urge others to stay home and socially distance.
"People are still not taking this outbreak seriously and that upsets me," he shared. "I take it personally."
Wayne and Emma were allowed to visit their daughter in the hospital, but were dogged by the fear that one or both of them might soon show signs of the virus.
"If I show any symptoms I will then be taken to another hospital and Erin will be here alone," Emma told the BBC. "This alone breaks my heart that if things get worse our baby girl may be on her own when she needs her mummy and daddy by her side."
But now, her parents are overjoyed that their daughter has fully recovered from the virus.
“Today, Erin beat Covid-19 and received a guard of honor by the treating team on our HDU as she was moved out of isolation,” a hospital spokesman told the Sun.
“Thank you so much to each and every one of them, we couldn’t have got through it without them," Emma added. “They are all truly amazing and we will be forever grateful."
Baby Erin's recovery is even more incredible considering the recent stories of other babies who tested positive and weren't so lucky.
Last month, an infant in Chicago reportedly died from the respiratory illness. Just days later, a 7-month-old in Connecticut also succumbed to the virus.
The number of pediatric cases remains relatively low throughout the world and are generally noted to be less severe. Experts in the UK, however, are starting to report a coronavirus-related "inflammatory syndrome" that's emerging in children.
“[Over the] last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK,” read an alert issued to doctors in North London, according to the New York Post.
Although it's unclear just how widespread the overlapping illness is, doctors are monitoring the conditions they see to determine if it spreads further.
