A devastated mother has spoken of her heartache after her son was left almost completely paralysed after he caught Covid. She now believes more could've been done for her son after he initially fell ill at their home.
Mirko Ibraham was a healthy, happy and active two-year-old until he came down with flu-like symptoms and a high fever back in October 2021. Six months later he had his life changed and is now a different child, unable to walk and who struggles to even play.
Mirko's mum, Kawzr told Hull Live : "My son was a healthy active two-year-old who was walking and talking. He was such an easy child but everything changed over a few weeks. I felt I had lost him."
The 27-year-old says Covid was only formally diagnosed as a likely cause when she went to see a specialist in Germany after she became so frustrated by the treatment he was getting in this country after doctors continued to send him home from hospital.
Covid restrictions were also to blame for Kawzr being unable to get a face-to-face appointment at her GP in Hull. There were also technical issues on the virtual appointment meaning the doctor couldn't even see Mirko. His mum had to verbally describe his symptoms, for which the GP prescribed antibiotics.
A few days later, Mirko started shaking and worried Kawzr took him straight to Hull Royal Infirmary where he was kept in overnight, before being sent home and she was told to wait for a neurologist consultant appointment to come through the post. She said: "I told the hospital that this was not my son’s usual behaviour. He didn't normally walk or move like this. I knew deep down something wasn't right. I felt heartbroken and like nobody was listening to me."
A week later, Mirko's shaking got much worse and he developed a very high temperature. "I was so worried and called 999," said Kawzr. "An ambulance came and we were taken to hospital. I just wanted my son to get better, but after a few hours we were sent home again. I felt so angry that nobody seemed to be doing anything."
Three days later she took Mirko back to hospital. "I knew something was wrong with him, this was not my Mirko," she said. "I told the hospital 'please help me my child is not normal, look at him, he is shaking’. I told them I wasn't leaving until I had been given answers but I was told his illness was not serious and that there were other children there who were more ill."
Kawzr claims she was told to leave the hospital due to the Covid policy and was not told if Mirko was tested for Covid-19. In response to queries from Hull Live, Hull Royal Infirmary has confirmed its policy in October 2021 “was to test all children admitted as inpatients”.
Just a few days later tragedy struck when Mirko stopped walking altogether. He was taken back to hospital where he stayed for four days and underwent numerous tests including an MRI scan and various bloods were taken. "We were sent home again and I still didn't know what was going on as his results came back clear, but my boy wasn't getting any better," she said.
"I just couldn’t stop crying. My boy was going downhill and it was breaking my heart. I hadn’t slept in weeks, it was horrible to see him suffer like this. My son became paralysed within weeks and nothing was done. I just kept getting sent back home and told to wait but in Mirko’s case time was not on our side. I had to leave my job as my son needed me."
Mirko Ibrahim, two, who got poorly in October with high fever, and was in and out of Hull Royal Infirmary, got so bad he went to Leeds where they diagnosed a brain infection. Mum Kawzr Ibrahim, 27, eventually took him to Germany where they got a Covid diagnoses confirmed which they think caused the brain infection. Pictured is submitted photos of Mirko of Askew Avenue, Hull, before he got poorly. Pictures: Katie Pugh
Mirko's mum took him back to hospital a couple of days later when his shaking "became uncontrollable and he couldn't stop crying." A lumbar puncture was carried out, but this came back normal. The mum claims she was told Mirko would be transferred to Leeds hospital for further tests. This would be where Mirko would spend his 2nd birthday.
She said: "I had his second birthday all planned. Never did I think this would happen to him, I was so stressed but I know he needed me to be strong."
More tests were carried out at Leeds hospital, which all came back clear and Mirko was given a dose of vitamins. He was discharged after five days with a possible diagnosis of "post infectious cerebellar ataxia" - a condition which affects the function or structure of the brain. Kawzr claims doctors told her not to worry and that he would get better with some physiotherapy.
She said: "Although I trusted the doctors I still did not have a confirmed diagnosis. Some doctors told me it could even be epilepsy and the doctors in Hull had told me that nothing was guaranteed as they were still learning about what the condition was. I didn’t know what to believe anymore."
Mirko’s mum decided to take matters into her own hands and started researching all the symptoms her son had. She said: "No-one knows my son better than me, and no one feels my pain, I cried every night seeing him like this."
In November 2021 Mirko’s eye started rolling inwards causing his sight to become very week. His mum had by then found a private clinic specialising in paediatric neurology in Germany. She spoke to them and they were happy to see Mirko in Germany.
On January 19, this year, Mirko was seen by a specialist doctor in Germany where he was received another MRI scan and a metabolic test which came back normal. Further tests were carried out and it was confirmed by the clinic that Merklo had been a victim of Covid 19 and that he was suffering from postinfectious cerebellar ataxia which is typically seen in victims of serious head injuries, strokes or tumours, or after infections of the brain.
The German report, seen by Hull Live, says that it believes Mirko’s ataxia is the result of infection but, because of the time that has passed, cannot confirm whether it was the coronavirus infection or another, more common virus, known as EBV which they also believe Mirko had contracted.
His mum said: "In Germany they did an antibodies test and they had found out Mirko had Covid and to me it was clear this is all the outcome from Covid. They provided him with steroids as a treatment. That meant I would have to stay months in Germany and I couldn’t take my oldest child out of school so long and the doctors said it would be best to do the treatment in the UK. The doctor in Germany had written a report for me to take back to the UK with the recommended treatment and told me it is best to get it through the NHS.
"When I came back to the UK I immediately went back to the doctors and gave them all the reports. I was only given two days worth of the steroid treatment as they did not think it is even necessary to complete the full dose recommended by Germany.
"I saw progress through the two day treatment after two weeks he had slowly progresses and started crawling again and I am sure this is from the steroid treatment." Consultants have now said they will see Mirko in another six months time and have recommended regular physio sessions, which he attends.
His mum said: "I used to regularly take Mirko to soft play and to the park and he would just enjoy playing with his big sister and run around, now he needs two to three people help him move in the soft play area.
“I will not stop fighting for my little boy, I plan to go abroad again and take matters into my own hands I feel like I have no other option.”
A spokeswoman for Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust said: “We are unable to discuss individual cases publicly because of patient confidentiality. However, we would encourage any patient or their representative with concerns about their hospital treatment to raise them with the team looking after them. Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service will also be happy to offer help and support to any patient - or their family if appropriate.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have been contacted for comment.
