Camila Rose Burns: 4-year-old girl fights virulent strep infection while father 'prays for a miracle'
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND: With a serious Group A Strep infection taking over Britain, a heartbroken father to a four year old who is fighting for her life has revealed that he is ‘praying for a miracle.’ Camila Rose Burns is currently in the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where she’s been kept on a ventilator and has been holding on to her life by a thread.
Her father Dean Burns has spoken to the media and according to a report by The Sun, he has been “living in an absolute nightmare” ever since his daughter was hospitalized and that she is very sickly. The infection has led to more than 800 cases of scarlet fever being recorded and has led to serious illness among those afflicted. Six people have tragically died of the infection in England, of which five victims are less than 10 years old, all of whom died within a week of being affected.
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"When we got here Monday, they said she's the poorliest girl in the whole of England.” Burns said and then went on to say, “To go from dancing on Friday night with her friends, to a little bit under the weather on Saturday and then a bit more bad on Sunday, she's basically not the same girl any more. It's heartbreaking."
It all began when Dean bought his daughter to the hospital after she complained of chest burns after a bug went around the children of her school. She was sent home with an inhaler on the first day, but was rushed back into the hospital the very next day. She has not been responding to treatment and has been kept in the critical care unit since.
"She's fighting for her life, and I've told her how much I love her, her mum loves, her sister loves her, we all love her," Dean added. “Everyone’s saying prayers for her, hoping for a miracle she lives. She needs to live, she's such a special little girl. I can still hear her singing... it's too much." He also urged other parents to “look out for the signs” and act quickly if they believe their child is sick.
"When I look back it still just seemed like a sickness bug, she was really lethargic at times, but her health was improving until she completely changed. No family should be going through what we're going through. We just got the Christmas tree out, the naughty elf, the advent calendars with all our names on. It's just wrong. I don't know what's going to happen to her, whatever does, she's our little girl, will always be our little girl."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed a person in Knowsley has also contracted the invasive bacterial infection. The diagnosis comes as six children in England, of whom five are under the age of 10, have died after contracting the illness, according to Liverpool Echo. Another child under the age of 10 has also died in Wales after being infected. The most recent UKHSA’s report reveals eight people have thus far been diagnosed with Strep A so far. Another nine patients have been diagnosed with an unspecified Streptococcal infection.
"Group A streptococcus" or Strep A is a bacterial infection with symptoms that can show up in the throat, tonsil or skin and can cause complications, such as kidney inflammation, rheumatic fever or damage to the heart. It is an infection that requires prompt treatment, particularly in children over the age of 3. Many people carry it without developing any symptoms, but they can still spread it to others who might become ill through close contact and from coughs and sneezes. The UKHSA has warned anyone displaying symptoms like "high fever, severe muscle aches, pain in one area of the body, and unexplained vomiting or diarrhoea," to seek medical help immediately.