New mother gave birth prematurely and left close to end-of-life care after catching Covid
A mother with coronavirus who recently gave birth has encouraged others to have the vaccination after she became so ill that her relatives were advised to prepare for her end-of-life care.
Shem McLeod, who turns 44 this month, gave birth prematurely to her son on July 25, at 33 weeks.
She had not had her Covid-19 vaccine, and has been so ill she has still not seen her son apart from on video calls.
Now after five weeks in Walsall Manor Hospital and having been placed in a coma, Shem is having to learn to walk again.
Shem, who has three other sons aged 20, 11 and two years old, had a caesarean at City Hospital in Birmingham after becoming ill, before being transferred to the Walsall hospital because of the demand for beds.
The mother-of-four, who had no underlying health conditions, said: "I was one of those who thought ‘it won’t happen to me’. I think my risk increased because I was pregnant.
"But I’m definitely going to have the vaccine as soon as I can and I would strongly encourage others to do the same. This experience has changed me – I want to promote the vaccine because it’s better to have the jab than be in the situation I have been in.
“My friends and family were told the next stage for me would be end of life care and they said ‘are you serious?’ My heart, kidney and lungs were fighting against each other which is why they had to put me into a coma.
"I feel very grateful for the doctors and nurses to enable me to be here and to my family and friends for their support.”
Shem is a frontline key worker for a local authority in the Birmingham area where she lives. Unwell with a persistent cough, she tested positive for Covid in the maternity unit. On returning home, her partner was so worried about her condition, he called for an ambulance and she was admitted to City Hospital on July 25 – giving birth the following day.
She said: "I was coughing for some time and I couldn't shift it. It got to a point where I was lying on the floor struggling to breathe.
"My last real memory was getting into the ambulance."
At City Hospital, Shem underwent a caesarean before being placed in an induced coma, which she says was crucial to her and her baby's survival.
Shem said: "They performed a C-section because of the danger and to save both our lives. They stabilised me and put me into a coma and I was then transferred to Walsall."
She is hoping to be able to her baby son soon, or be allowed home to be reunited with her family – but she doesn't know when she's going to be well enough to do so, as she is having to learn to walk again.
Shem said: "I miss all my children but it’s been especially hard with the two-year-old because he doesn’t understand why his mum isn’t there. We have had video calls but when I was in critical care I had wires and tubes coming out of me so it wasn’t until a couple of days ago when those things were removed that he recognised me.
"I haven’t been able to be with my baby either – I was sedated before so I had no awareness of him, then he was taken to neonatal.
“I am not sure when I will be able to go home because I wouldn’t be able to look after my children. I have been told it could be months before I regain my physical strength, but I am eager to meet my new baby.”
Just two weeks before giving birth, Shem was dancing to her favourite reggae, R ‘n’ B and soul music at her cousin’s party – but her legs are currently in splints for four hours at a time because her feet have ‘dropped’ after so long in bed and she can only walk a couple of steps.
She added: “Occupational therapists have been a great help in supporting me to stand because after five weeks in bed, I have lost the ability to walk. It could be months before I get back to normal.”
Shem is now back at City Hospital for her ongoing care and her baby son is at home.
