Today, is the first International Long Covid Awareness Day!
Christina Doyle and her family are one of many families that have been directly affected by covid, but unlike most, they never recovered.
This is Christinas experience in her own words:
“During the pandemic, the government told us that kids weren’t affected by covid. They would make full recoveries… their immune systems were less compromised as they were younger etc etc… I called bull.
We got covid in early 2020. My then, 13 year old son and 9 year old daughter and I never recovered! To this day, we are still unable to live fully. We are in pain, mentally and physically. The children have lost most friends… time waits for no man and neither do friends apparently!
Their sports are gone, social meet ups… gone! It’s not worth a few hours fun for another 3 week crash, to stay in bed unable to lift your head.
They have missed nearly 3 years of school with no help or support. When they do return you have to be able to prove their ill health…but wait for it…They have been shunned by public healthcare professionals who say, its all in their heads or, they’re anxious, Mum- because you’re anxious!
They’ve been ill-advised to push on, push through, ignore the symptoms, don’t use the word covid in the house!!!
Only thanks to Sarah O Connell and the Long Covid Advocacy Ireland and Long Covid Kids charity, I don’t know where we would be.
I have spent thousands privately in the last 18 months trying to get the right people to see my kids, the right diagnosis, the right medication… all on my own! There is no public clinic to bring a child with long covid.
Long covid isn’t just about lingering symptoms either, myself and my 8 year old daughter have both developed autoimmune diseases since covid. I have hashimotos, a disorder where my body is attacking my thyroid gland… my baby girl has type 1 diabetes!!! Her body is killing her pancreas.
Our family will never be the same again! We take one minute at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time. We can’t make plans anymore but have learnt to cherish the little things again. My family are still alive and I am so grateful for that… but this government have let us down… the healthcare professionals have let us down!
Long covid exists… its very very real! We live it every minute of every day.”
If you or your family have experienced long covid, you can contact Long Covid Kids for support and guidance.
