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Hi. I’m Olivia. In the picture with me is my mom. She has long covid. I had long covid too. I don’t remember getting covid because I wasn’t even two years old when we got sick. My mom tells me that after we had covid both she and I got really sick. She says I stopped eating food. I’d ask for food and then when she gave it to me, I’d sadly say “not hungry.” She tells me I used to wake up at night crying because I was hungry - but I wouldn’t eat. Unfortunately, at that time, there wasn’t any information on pediatric long covid. My mom is a pediatric nurse practitioner - and with the help of ENT doctors at Hopkins, GI doctors at Hopkins, an awesome feeding team in Frederick, and my mom who didn’t stop researching and learning to figure out my issues - they ultimately realized that covid had damaged my nerves and that caused food to taste and smell really bad, Guess thats why I refused to eat everything. Luckily, I eventually managed to tolerate a drink called Kate Farms. And I was able to live on that for a year. (They also gave me an appetite stimulant because I wouldn’t even drink enough of that to grow). Slowly over time I began eating again. I’m still pretty picky, and I still work with my feeding team, but I’m growing and thriving now.
My mom wasn’t as lucky. Shes’s been sick for as long as I can remember. Some days she sleeps all day, or needs to rest in bed. Some days she gets up and plays with me, some days I lay in bed and bring my toys and books to her. When she’s feeling bad I make play tea for her that she says makes her feel all better. She says the doctors that help her want us to walk (or maybe I’ll ride in her lap if she takes the wheel chair) one mile to help raise money and awareness for people who have her same illness and for kiddos like me. So we’re going to walk a mile (or roll a mile) as a family.
If you wouldn’t mind helping us raise some money for the doctors that are working so hard to help my mom that would be really nice.
Thank you
Olivia
(written by Mom - based on things Olivia has said and done during our jouerny)
