Family Stunned As Girl, 1, With Heart Defect and Chronic Lung Disease Beats CCP Virus

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A 1-year-old child has beaten the CCP virus despite being born prematurely with a congenital heart defect and chronic lung disease. The baby girl is among the youngest patients in Britain to recover from the deadly virus.

Leah Peters was born prematurely in Lincolnshire, England, at just 32 weeks and five days. During her young life, she has been in and out of the hospital for various treatments and operations for months, reports the Daily Mail, owing to her underlying health conditions.

After the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, Leah’s compromised health status placed her among the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Leah’s parents, Agata and Michael Peters, knew that the prognosis could be devastating if their baby girl caught COVID-19. At the end of March 2020, the nightmare began; Agata and Michael rushed their baby girl to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital after she developed a cough and had low heart stats.

However, when Leah first had a cough, her parents admitted not being overly worried. Agata said, according to NHS, “[W]e assumed it was a cold or another bug [Leah’s older sisters] had brought home.”

“Because of Leah’s heart condition we have a nurse come to visit her at home every week,” Agata continued. “The nurse took her stats and as they were a bit low, and combined with the cough she called an ambulance.”

Oxygen helped stabilize Leah, but then her parents received the news they had been dreading; Leah had tested positive for the CCP virus.

Despite their misgivings, however, Agata and Michael were overjoyed when their baby girl was discharged from the hospital just 24 hours after testing positive for the virus. Their “little fighter” was going to pull through.

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Agata said, “She was sent home the day after we received the test results, and is doing really well at the moment.” Leah’s parents praised the hardworking NHS staff that had cared for their 1-year-old daughter, calling them, “amazing,” and “so sweet and caring.”

“Thank you just isn’t enough, it doesn’t describe how grateful we all are,” said Leah’s mom.

A medical professional in PPE transfers a patient inside St Thomas' Hospital in London, England. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

Mark Brassington, deputy chief executive of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, explained that NHS staff countrywide are going “above and beyond” to do everything in their power to care for patients like baby Leah. “It really does lift all of our spirits to hear how well she is now doing,” Brassington said.

The health, safety, and well-being of NHS staff themselves remain a high priority for the healthcare trust. NHS Employers guidance implores every single one of its healthcare institutions to “take every effort to support the physical and mental wellbeing of the workforce,” amid these unprecedented times.

Staff disinfect an ambulance after it arrived with a patient at St Thomas' Hospital in London, England. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

Help and support, read the guidance, as well as help with food shopping and both social and emotional support should be provided through the mediums of essential health provision as the gravity of the global pandemic continues to escalate.

Brassington’s final message for anyone reading Leah’s story is of gratitude for everybody supporting front line workers, and for everyone doing their part to help stop the spread of the virus by staying at home. “It really is making a difference, so please keep it up,” he said.

NHS workers attend to a patient at St Thomas' Hospital in London, England, on April 10, 2020 Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

To date, Leah is one of the youngest patients in Britain to beat the CCP virus.