'It was a desperate time' ITV Meridian presenter Stacey Poole reflects on son's Long Covid fight

As ITV Meridian launches a special investigation into the number of children living with the effects of Long Covid, ITV Meridian presenter Stacey Poole has been reflecting on her own experiences of the devastating impact it can have.

Stacey's son Louis tested positive for the virus over a year ago aged 11. He recovered well, but last year contracted Covid for a second time - this time he didn't recover.

Now 12, Louis has returned to school and with their support, is slowly overcoming his fatigue and other issues.

Stacey has shared her story, in a bid to provide hope for other families who are suffering.

"Long Covid is the worst experience of my life’ is a phrase I’ve heard time and time again while filming the series and it certainly sums up my experience.

"Seeing my son in terrible pain unable to move for months was heartbreaking, but not being able to find any treatment or support from the NHS was totally devastating.

"As a parent every instinct in you, drives you to try and ‘fix it’ to make it better, but with this illness I couldn’t. It’s been a harrowing journey lasting 13 months to date and Louis is still not back to ‘his old self’, but this is a story echoed right across the country. That’s why I felt motivated to raise awareness and tell my story.

"Louis was just 11 years old when he first got Covid, in October 2021. It was a mild illness - a sore throat and loss of taste and smell and on day 9,  after testing negative he returned to normal life. For Louis that was a crazy cocktail of sport, sport and more sport. He was fanatical about football, he played two teams and trained most days, it was quite simply his life!

"But in January 2022 he caught Covid again and this time he never recovered. Again, the initial infection was mild, similar symptoms but two weeks later he collapsed, the colour drained from his face, his body was limp and he looked dreadful. We took him to the GP multiple times begging for them to help, each time it was a different doctor, but on the final appointment we were sent straight to A&E. But once we got there, they took bloods and sent him home. They said they would refer us to the Long Covid Clinic.

"Louis was suffering terrible joint pain, horrendous gastro issues and crippling fatigue, all he could manage to do in a day was have a bath and then return to the sofa. Our lives were on hold and it remained that way for five months. He couldn’t go to school, was too unwell to do sport, and had no energy to see friends. Everything he loved in life had disappeared.

"We clung hold of the hope that the appointment for the Long Covid Clinic was imminent and that support, diagnostics and treatment were on the way.  But when the letter finally arrived the appointment was for 13 months time. And there was nothing else being offered by the NHS. I felt we were trapped inside a dark room with no way out and no hope of any improvement, it was a desperate time.

"But I refused to let him lose everything without a fight, and I spent hours researching and reaching out to other people affected on Twitter. I’m not a social media fan, but for Long Covid sufferers it’s a lifeline. Slowly, over several months I found a Gastroenterologist who addressed the pain he was in, a rheumatologist who helped with the joint issues a cardiologist who diagnosed Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and a physiotherapist from Great Ormond Street who helped get his strength back. I was also supported by a wonderful nutritionist who devised a supplement protocol that also made a huge difference. I finally found a team that could give us hope.

"It’s not been an overnight fix, but 13 months later Louis is back in school full time and with the incredible support of the teachers. They have made all the difference and nothing is too much trouble! Louis now has a timetable that allows him breaks to manage his fatigue, his own room in the medical department where he is completely supported by the nurses and some wonderful friends who have not judged him or questioned his illness and given him the joy back in his life.

"Watching him navigate this horrendous illness has been an emotional rollercoaster and there have been many times when I never thought he would get better. But my reason for writing this blog is to give other families hope. With the right support and the right medication children can recover and if you need any help I am going to be live on Facebook on Tuesday 28 March at 6.40pm and I’m on twitter @StaceyPooleITV .

"One day I hope Louis will be back playing competitive football and this will be a distant memory and with his courage and determination I know that will be possible. But I will always be eternally grateful to the doctors who reached out to help us and gave Louis his life back."

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