Covid-19: Walsall coma mum inspired to become ICU nurse

Baby Leo recently celebrated his first birthday

A mother who nearly died from Covid-19 while pregnant is hoping to become an intensive care nurse in honour of those who helped her.

Ellie Wright from Walsall contracted the virus in January 2021 and days later gave birth to baby Leo by C-section 10 weeks prematurely.

She was then immediately placed in an induced coma that lasted three weeks.

A year on, Ms Wright said she wanted to support the nurses who "literally gave me my life back".

Ms Wright was in a coma for three weeks fighting Covid-19 and pneumonia

The 21-year-old contracted Covid at 30 weeks pregnant and became seriously ill in critical care while fighting the virus and pneumonia.

Ms Wright recalled the moment she said "who's that?" when she saw baby Leo for the first time.

"When I went down for the C-section, I never saw Leo the other side - I was just put straight into the coma," she told BBC Radio WM.

She added she could hear her mother talk to her, but after waking up, thought it was an "hallucination".

She remembered, she said, hearing certain things such as her mother's words: "Ellie, you've got to come back, you've got a baby to come back to."

At the time, Leo needed to be on a ventilator. The family has recently celebrated his first birthday.

Ms Wright wants to train as an intensive care nurse after calling the hospital staff "angels"

The mother of one is now receiving physiotherapy and says she "struggles a lot with her walking", but has been encouraged by therapists that "she will recover" even if it takes years.

The vaccine was not available during her pregnancy but Ms Wright had it as soon as she was able to.

She was due to study as a mental health nurse at university in September 2021, but was not able to attend due to her health complications.

However, since her coma experience, she wants to train as an intensive care nurse, praising the staff who treated her at Walsall Manor Hospital as "angels".