South Carolina girl, 12, on ventilator battling COVID-19, RSV and pneumonia
(WCSC) -- A 12-year-old South Carolina girl is fighting for her life after her mom says she was diagnosed with COVID-19, RSV and pneumonia.
Amari Goodwin's mom, Misty, says her daughter is smart and sassy.
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But now, because of COVID-19, the Walterboro 12-year-old is in an ICU bed at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, on a ventilator and sedated.
Misty says he daughter's symptoms progressed quickly -- suddenly she couldn't breathe, was vomiting and had a 104-degree fever.
When they went to an urgent care, she was diagnosed with COVID-19, pneumonia and Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
"Once she started coughing up blood in her phlegm, I was like, 'no that's enough.' That's when we came to the hospital," Misty said.
She said her daughter has been struggling day and night since August 5.
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"You're just in there watching her. You can't do nothing to fix it. And then I'm trying to balance all of my kids. Nobody can come see her. It's just me, her and the machines," Misty said.
"Every child hospitalized for COVID or MIS-C has been unvaccinated," Elizabeth Mack, Chief of Critical Care and Medical Director of Quality and Safety at MUSC, said.
The good news is, Misty says Amari is slowly making progress and doctors are weaning her off the sedation.
"She can open her eyes. She'll squeeze your hand," Goodwin said.
But the road to recovery will be a long one.
"If we don't protect these kids, no one is going to protect them. If you can get vaccinated, I suggest you do it," Misty said. "But you still have to wear your mask. It can happen to anybody. It don't matter young, old, what color, it doesn't matter. This virus don't care. It's going to hit who it can hit. It's going to keep going, so we all have to do our part."
Misty said Amari had an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine in August but couldn't get it because she was already sick.
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