A fundraiser for a little girl "fighting for her life" has been set up to help her mum and dad make ends meet while they keep watch by her bedside.
Four year old Camila Rose Burns is currently "fighting for her life" in Alder Hey Children's Hospital where she was rushed last weekend after contracting Strep A - a bacterial infection which has killed six children throughout the country. Her dad, Dean Burns, said he and his family have been "living in an absolute nightmare" since her condition worsened.
A GoFundMe has now been set up by Camila's auntie to support Dean and his partner Kaye as they will not be leaving Camila's side while she is in hospital, and therefore will have "no income coming into the home."
READ MORE: Symptoms of Strep A to look out for as fourth child dies due to infection
The GoFundMe said: "As you may have seen in the news, my niece is currently fighting for her life in Alder Hey Children's hospital after becoming infected with Group A Streptococcus which has also led to other complications.
"Dean and Kaye understandably have not and will not leave Camila's side during this absolutely heartbreaking situation.
"Due to this, there will be no income coming into the home.
"After many people have asked, I have decided to set up this page to help them with one less thing to worry about during this nightmare."
The fundraiser has smashed its target, reaching almost £9,000 in 18 hours despite having an original goal of £2,000.
Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Dean warned parents with "any doubts" to take their child to hospital. He said: "Any doubts if they don't look right just scoop them up and take them get them checked out.
"We are praying that she will make a full recovery. We are devastated and she is such a beautiful little girl."
Camila was taken to hospital last Saturday where she was prescribed an inhaler and told she could go home – but her health deteriorated a day later. Dean told Sky News: “She just completely changed. She was restless.”
After being taken back to hospital, Camila needed life-saving intervention. Mr Burns added: “We shouted some nurses down and we had to leave the room. They put her to sleep and she’s been on a ventilator ever since, keeping her alive. It’s the worst thing that can ever happen to anybody.”
The UK Health Agency confirmed yesterday that a case of the invasive bacterial infection had been detected in Knowsley. The news comes after six children have died after contracting the illness, known by its full name as Group A streptococcus.
Group A strep bacteria can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases. Illnesses include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria causes a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease. According to UKHSA data, there have been 2.3 cases of invasive disease per 100,000 children aged one to four this year in England, compared with an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019).
Health officials are urging parents to contact NHS 111 or their GP if their child is getting worse, is feeding or eating much less than normal, has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration. They should also seek help if their baby is under three months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than three months with a temperature of 39C or higher. A very tired or irritable child is also a red flag.
You can find the GoFundMe here.
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