Sheffield mum, 45, given ‘50/50 chance’ after eight-week Covid battle makes full recovery thanks to experimental drug
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Claire Haythorne, aged 45, of Hillsborough, has been in hospital for eight weeks and in an induced coma on ventilation for 35 days, after she was rushed to hospital with Covid symptoms in November.
Her devoted family had been warned several times to prepare for the worst, but thanks to an experimental drug she is now on a normal ward and expected home in just two weeks' time.
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Hide AdHer son Jordan, 22, said his mum’s recovery was ‘the best Christmas present I have ever had and will be for the rest of my life’.
Claire, who works as a carer at a Sheffield home, had been in bed for about 10 days before she was rushed to hospital.
However, when she got there she was obviously so seriously ill she was put on oxygen straight away and had to be put into an induced coma to minimise the damage being done to her kidneys and lungs.
Two weeks ago her chances of survival were described by medics as poor, but after she was put on an experimental drug just before Christmas, she responded almost immediately.
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Hide AdClaire was given the drug Anakinra or Kineret, which is normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
The medics at Northern General Hospital where she has been treated for the last two months described the treatment to her family as the last throw of the dice, but she came round straight away.
She is now undertaking physiotherapy before she is allowed home to see her family for the first time in eight weeks.
Also hoping for the best have been Jordan’s sister Leah, aged 18, and their dad Tariq.
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Hide AdThey are still not allowed to see Claire on the ward but are allowed to go to the hospital to drop things off for her.
“We are on facetime 24/7,” said Jordan.
“She says she just feels blessed to still be here.”