After falling ill while she was pregnant, a mother spent seven weeks in an induced coma and woke up to find that her child had been born.
Laura Ward, 33, from Tyldesley, Wigan, whose condition deteriorated from the virus while pregnant with her daughter Hope, was sedated for an emergency C-section at 31 weeks – more than two months before her due date of October 15.
Her baby was born at Royal Bolton Hospital weighing 3lb 7oz. She is now healthy and happy and weighs in at 10lb 7oz.
However, for Laura it was just the beginning of a horrific ordeal that at one point her family feared she would never recover from.

Laura Ward, 33 from Tyldesley (Wigan), is now relearning everyday activities following a seven-week long covid coma. Pictured: Laura and partner John Leece, with their newborn daughter Hope
The Tyldesley Primary School teaching assistant had finished school for the summer holidays with ‘a bit of a cough’.
A lateral flow test concluded that she was negative for covid, however when she didn’t improve, she decided to get a PCR, which came back positive.
After being told to isolate her, she became very weak and was told to call 111 to get help. Her condition had worsened over the past two weeks and she was advised to go to hospital to be checked on her baby. She was also told that they might have to give birth early.
She doesn’t remember arriving on the Covid Ward. Despite being instructed that she had nodded her head in order to consent to Hope giving birth, she still hasn’t a single recollection.
John Leece, John’s partner was also called, but the Covid restrictions prevented him from entering the theatre.
Laura’s second memory was of waking up on September 30th, seven weeks after her due date. She saw the sweet little girl she never knew she had.
Laura said, “I opened up my eyes to look at Hope, and I couldn’t move any of my body.”

Laura, pictured at hospital. Laura was diagnosed with covid following a severe cough. She says that she had to relearn how to brush and eat.
“All that I could do was nod and shake my head.”
Laura lost her speech after she had her feeding tubes and tracheostomy placed. It took Laura two weeks to even speak.
She said, “It was just that I could not move from my bed.” “I tried very hard to raise my arms, but couldn’t lift them,” she said.
“It was difficult because I couldn’t speak but it also meant that I couldn’t use my hands or arms to make any type of writing.
“I had to learn how to bathe, brush my teeth and feed myself.

Laura’s partner John Leece referred to their daughter as ‘baby girl’ (pictured), while waiting for an opportunity to agree on a name together
Over the course of weeks, her muscles had become weaker and she was unable to walk. She made her way through the hospital corridor first with a frame then held the hand of William, her 3-year-old son.
Laura looks forward most to the weeks she has spent with Hope and her husband, David.
John (37), who works at PSI as a cleaner fan in schools and office buildings, was part of the group that would chat with Laura via FaceTime, while Laura was still in a coma. They didn’t know if she could hear them.
He referred to their daughter only as ‘baby girl’ until they could both agree on a name and has kept a scrapbook of things the children have done while their mum has been in hospital.

Laura stated that John was ‘amazing’ for bringing his children to see her at the hospital, and helping to build a relationship with Hope.
Laura stated, “He didn’t want her to be named before I woke awake.”
‘He’s been amazing, he really has. Hope has been seeing him every day and he brings William and Lexi, our kids. They stay with us often when their mom isn’t there.
They wanted to build a bond between Hope (and me) so Hope has been a lot. However, William was our goal to make sure he’s as normal as possible.
“William” first visited me in October on his third birthday. I was really moved, as he hadn’t seen me since July.
“I missed John’s first day of nursery, and Hope’s first week – her first bath, and all that stuff. John keep telling me that I haven’t missed anything since she only sleeps, poos, and drinks milk. But I cannot wait to go home.
Following her treatment at Royal Bolton Hospital, Laura was transferred to Wythenshawe hospital, where she was placed in a coma for 35 days on an ECMO machine. With her lungs ‘absolutely gone,’ her parents, Lynn and Bill, were informed that it was ‘the final resort.

Laura, who is rehabilitating with intense physiotherapy and occupational therapy, said she has a timetable of classes with exercises to do everyday. Laura is pictured with her son
Laura explained that Laura’s family panicked. It’s clearly not looking well for the doctors and nurses.
“John managed to make everyone feel positive about the situation. He told them that she wasn’t giving up, and so are they, and that it was okay to keep believing in her.
Laura spent five weeks in Wythenshawe before she was released from coma.
There she was transferred to Trafford general, where she is currently undergoing intensive occupational and physiotherapy therapy. She hopes to return home for Christmas.
According to her, she has a daily schedule that includes classes as well as exercises.
‘I’m getting stronger every day and the nurse has said she hasn’t seen anyone make as much progress in such a short amount of time.

Laura didn’t get the vaccine during pregnancy so she is encouraging other women to do the same. Hope is Laura and her newborn baby Hope
I think that it has helped me to achieve my goal of returning home for Christmas as well as to visit my family. They are so dear to me.
Laura wants to express her gratitude to the hospital staff she was treated in. She also wishes to thank her parents Lynn and Bill and her cousin Kirstie Atkinson. Emma Chatwood will be returning to work at the primary school for William’s start in September.
The Covid vaccination was not advised for women pregnant at the time she became pregnant. It was too late by the time she received it.
Laura said that she would recommend the jab for any woman who is pregnant after her experience.
She replied, “Just get it,” she stated. ‘I wouldn’t wish what’s happened to me on anyone and it’s better to be safe than sorry.’