Leeds family's desperate appeal to help two-year-old Elijah left brain damaged after Covid

A two-year-old left with brain damage after contracting Covid is in desperate need of a specialist car seat to travel safely to his medical appointments.
Laura Reid
By Laura Reid
Published 4th Apr 2023, 11:50 BST

Elijah Kay-Haigh from Horsforth, in Leeds, tested positive for Covid in November 2021. After having a temperature of more than 40 degrees for several days, he was put into an induced coma at Leeds Children’s Hospital to save his life. Now Elijah has seizures, can’t speak and his lungs are so damaged he needs constant oxygen. He is fed through a tube, his muscles are too weak for him to sit upright for long periods of time and reflux causes him to vomit, risking him choking and breathing it into his lungs, and potentially causing dangerous chest infections.

With multiple medical appointments each week, Elijah and parents Abigail and Chris spend a lot of time in the car, but after a growth spurt, his current car seat isn’t safe. A larger specialist car seat to meet all his needs costs £3,130 - far beyond the family budget. But Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children has stepped in with an urgent appeal to help raise the necessary funds.

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The car seat will mean there is more room for Elijah’s medical equipment, including tube feeds and oxygen, which will make journeys much easier for and the whole family including 15-year-old Louise, three-year-old Jacob and three-month-old Nathan.

A disabled children’s charity has launched an appeal to fund a specialist car seat for Leeds two-year-old Elijah Kay-Haigh after Covid left him with brain damage, needing 24-hour oxygen.A disabled children’s charity has launched an appeal to fund a specialist car seat for Leeds two-year-old Elijah Kay-Haigh after Covid left him with brain damage, needing 24-hour oxygen.
A disabled children’s charity has launched an appeal to fund a specialist car seat for Leeds two-year-old Elijah Kay-Haigh after Covid left him with brain damage, needing 24-hour oxygen.

Mum Abigail said: “Having the right kind of car seat to safely meet Elijah’s needs is vital. As well as regular medical appointments he can become poorly suddenly, so we need to act fast and use the car to take him to hospital where we have open access, without worrying that his car seat isn’t safe enough.

“The car seat is also safe to use in the front of our car which means I will be able to see him when I’m driving and know he is safe – which will help my peace of mind...We could also go places as a family again, so the children will no longer have to miss out. Just travelling to the beach for the day as a family is something we would love to do, knowing that the journey would be safe for Elijah.”

To donate, visit https://newlife.support/Elijah,

Related topics:LeedsHorsforth