A mum is warning others after her 11-year-old son became critically ill from a rare side effect of covid seen in children.
Pippa Crook, 38, said her son Cooper Hayton had no symptoms after testing positive for coronavirus.
But four weeks later he developed an uncontrollable fever, lost his appetite, became lethargic and complained of pain below his left rib, as well as stomach pains.
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She took him to the GP who suspected Cooper had sepsis and called an ambulance to take him to the hospital.
However, medics at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary established he'd developed Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS).
The rare conditions occurs in less than 0.5% of children who have had Covid-19, and only 1 to 5 per 100,000 children infected require hospital admission from the condition.
Cooper's high temperature continued and he developed a blotchy rash over his body, his face became swollen and he had deep red lips and bloodshot eyes.
An ultrasound showed he also had an inflamed stomach and enlarged spleen.
He was give three nights of antibiotics, 24 hours of immunoglobulins and three nights of steroids to suppress his immune system in hospital.
Pippa, who lives in Cumbria, said: "When Cooper started to feel unwell a month after having covid it didn’t occur to me that the two could be linked.
"As a mother you feel great guilt for not knowing. Yet if there was more awareness of PIMS maybe I would have recognised the symptoms.
"Children have been left with long term heart damage because they were dismissed or misdiagnosed so many times before receiving treatment.
"Children can die from this condition."
After six nights in hospital - including three in an intensive care unit - he was able to return home.
Thankfully, Cooper has made a excellent recovery and there appears to be no long-term heart damage following an echocardiogram and ECG.
The Year 7 pupil still needs regular heart check-ups and now Pippa wants to raise awareness of the condition.
She added: "I know we were the lucky ones. I wouldn't want any child or parent to go through what we went through."
And she urged other mums: "Trust your instincts if something is wrong with your child."
Official NHS guidance says that PIMS can develop 4-6 weeks after having covid.
Symptoms can include a prolonged fever, tummy ache, diarrhoea, vomiting, widespread red rash, red bloodshot eyes, strawberry red tongue, red cracked lips.
Others include swelling of fingers and toes or not feeling or acting like themselves.
Pippa said she is pushing for the Government to increase public awareness of the illness.
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