Covid: Vaccine rejection ordeal after C-section and coma

Mike and Jade Sheppard-Palomares with baby Dot

A woman who had an emergency C-section and was placed in a coma after contracting Covid-19 says she regrets turning down the offer of a vaccine.

Jade Sheppard-Palomares was 29 weeks pregnant when she rapidly fell ill in July after catching the virus.

Describing her ordeal she said: "I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I went through because it was hideous."

Her baby who weighed 2lbs 13oz (1.2kg) was cared for in Southmead Hospital's neonatal unit Bristol for seven weeks.

'Glowing blue'

The then mother-of-three sons from Bristol said she rejected her midwife's offers of the vaccine because of fears it could affect her unborn baby's fertility and cause brain damage.

"I thought it was scaremongering to get you to have the vaccine," she said.

She caught the virus from her partner Mike who had been vaccinated.

Jade held her daughter for the first time 16 days after she was born

"I was in bed one minute and then suddenly I was, 'I don't think I can breathe'."

"He (Mike) walked into the room, he said that my face was all white and my lips were glowing blue and he started panicking."

She was given an emergency C-section on 21 July at Southmead Hospital where she was reassured her baby would survive.

Medics told Jade her baby would survive but they doubted Jade would survive Covid

"It was so far advanced, it had attacked my lungs so much that they didn't think I would wake up but they did everything they could," she added.

She woke from her coma after 10 days and she held her baby for the first time six days later.

Her three sons first saw their sister at four weeks old.

Baby Dot now weighs 6lbs and is making good progress.

Mike said he and his partner had been given a second chance at life following the ordeal

Jade said: "I would never say, 'go and get the vaccine' because it is an individual thing, but I regret not having it done."

Her partner Mike added: "We had a second chance. It's up to them but it changed Jade's mind.

"She would have left her boys without a mum."

The NHS advises all pregnant women to take the vaccine to protect themselves and their unborn baby.

Baby Dot is in good health after being placed in a neo-natal unit for seven weeks