KATY, Texas — When 6-year-old Julie first got COVID-19, her mother said everything was fine. Until it wasn't.
“We knew something wasn’t right,” Holly Haas said. “The fever just wouldn’t go away, and then her breathing started to change, and we had to make the difficult decision to get her some help.”
Haas said she rushed her daughter to an emergency room in Katy.
“An X-ray was done, and COVID pneumonia was diagnosed, and a roller coaster started from there,” Haas said.
Julie had to be hospitalized. Haas said the first night was the worst.
“As a momma, it crushed me,” she said. "At one time, she had two pediatricians, an RN and a respiratory therapist all at her bedside.”
Haas started reaching out for help through prayers.
“At that point, I just started putting out for prayers to everybody I knew," she said.
The next night, Julie got an infusion of remdesivir, which is currently only FDA approved for kids 12 and older. The treatment can still be administered to children under 12 if they are hospitalized.
While she was getting the infusion, her hometown of Hallettsville held a prayer service for the 6-year-old, and that's when Haas said everything changed.
“About an hour after the infusion was done, her fever was gone,” Haas said.
Julie went home the next day.
“The power of God is what brought us through this, there’s just no other explanation. She’s a miracle. She really is," Haas said.
Haas said she started realizing how bad it could have been as she left the hospital.
“Literally your vehicle is parked in between two refrigerator morgues, basically, portable morgues,” she said.
Julie hasn't fully recovered, but she's on her way. She thanks everyone who kept her in their thoughts.
“Thank you all for praying for me,” Julie said.
Haas is sharing her daughter's story in hopes that others will listen.
“She has no underlying risk factors. She’s a normal, healthy active young girl. It’s just crazy how it can hit,” Haas said.
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