A 13-year-old girl has been in a critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital for a week after testing positive for COVID-19 and is in cardiac arrest.
Alina Valenzuela, 13, has a previously undiagnosed condition called myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, according to a GoFundMe page compiled by a family member, Miriam Tervino. COVID-19 complications affected Alina’s heart and caused the cardiac arrest on January 11, Trevino wrote on the fundraising page. She was placed on an ECMO machine before being transferred from a hospital near her home in Pearsall to Texas Children’s on Jan. 15.
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On January 16, Trevino posts an update in which Alina underwent heart surgery.
‘We know Alina is a fighter, even after she had a cardiac arrest, she refused to give up and returned to us. “Alina’s will to live and be with her family is strong,” reads the report. “Although she is very ill and has a long way to go, we believe in the power of God and the power of prayer.”
Children’s and children’s hospitals reported an increase in young, recovering COVID-19 patients with persistent heart problems. In December, the American Academy of Pediatrics commissioned children and teens who want to return to sports infection after the coronavirus infection to see a doctor for heart risks.
Symptoms may include dizziness, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, fatigue.
As of Tuesday night, Alina’s condition is listed as critical. To date, the fundraising page has raised more than $ 25,000 to help the family pay for her medical bills.
Todd Ackerman contributed to this report.
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