Newlife has launched an appeal to fund a specialist car seat for two-year-old Elijah after Covid left him with brain damage and needing 24-hour oxygen.<\/p>\n
Elijah from Horsforth in Leeds tested positive for Covid in November 2021, but after having a temperature of 40.7 for several days he was put into an induced coma to save his life in Leeds Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n
Now Elijah has seizures, can\u2019t speak and his lungs are so damaged he needs constant oxygen. He is fed through a tube, his muscles are too weak for him to sit upright for long periods of time and reflux causes him to vomit, risking him choking and breathing it into his lungs, potentially causing dangerous chest infections.<\/p>\n
With multiple medical appointments each week, sometimes every day, Elijah and mum, Abigail, spend a lot of time in the car, but after a growth spurt his car seat isn\u2019t safe \u2013 and a larger specialist car seat to meet all his needs costs \u00a33,130 – far beyond the family budget.<\/p>\n
As well as being safe for his height and weight, the specialist car seat can provide extra support for Elijah\u2019s posture and a harness to keep him in a safe upright position. The car seat also swivels out so parents Abigail and Chris can easily lift him in and out, while three levels of adjustment mean he can recline or sit upright so he\u2019s in the right position to meet his medical needs.<\/p>\n
There is also more room for Elijah\u2019s medical equipment, including tube feeds and oxygen, which will make journeys much easier for Elijah \u2013 and the whole family including 15-year-old Louise, three-year-old Jacob and three-month-old Nathan.<\/p>\n
Mum Abigail said: \u201cHaving the right kind of car seat to safely meet Elijah\u2019s needs is vital. As well as regular medical appointments he can become poorly suddenly, so we need to act fast and use the car to take him to hospital where we have open access, without worrying that his car seat isn\u2019t safe enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car seat Elijah needs also has more room for things like his tube feeds and oxygen cylinders we need to take everywhere. Even if Elijah has a cold, we need to use a suction machine, as he can\u2019t clear mucus himself, and this will be much easier to do in this car seat as it\u2019s wider and the seat can be put into different positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car seat is also safe to use in the front of our car which means I will be able to see him when I\u2019m driving and know he is safe \u2013 which will help my peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abigail added: \u201cWe could also go places as a family again, so the children will no longer have to miss out. Just travelling to the beach for the day as a family is something we would love to do, knowing that the journey would be safe for Elijah.\u201d<\/p>\n