MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of a hospitalized little girl says she is making small improvements.
WREG previously reported on 6-year-old Hattie Lucille Shell, battling a condition brought on by COVID-19 that causes body parts and organs to become inflamed. Late Friday afternoon, her parents talked to us on the phone about their daughter’s recovery.
“Every day is a small, measurable improvement from the last,” said Kady Shell. “So, we’re very grateful for that. Obviously she is still very sick, but we’re confident, the doctors are confident that she’s heading in the right direction.”
The little girl affectionately called “the chicken whisperer” because of her love for animals and the outdoors, was once hospitalized at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and has been moved to St. Jude for more specialized care.
Her dad telling us doctors want to start various kinds of rehab.
“So she can start working and regaining strength while she finishes some of the treatments,” said Wes Shell.
Her hospitalization comes after she contracted multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, an inflammatory disorder brought on after COVID-19 that can affect the body’s organs.
Following her diagnosis of MIS-C Hattie has had some complications, resulting in her needing platelets from AB negative donors. She still needs them, as her parents say she gets a blood transfusion every few days.
Her mother says the support the family has received is overwhelming and humbling.
“There’s a lot of chaos and what looks like bad in the world right now, but God told us that what he made is good,” Kady said.
They want to send a message to the community.
“We are not the only family in this situation,” Kady said. “So whether or not you are Hattie’s blood type, please go give blood and platelets and plasma. There is an overwhelming shortage in our area.”
Hattie’s family also praised the hard work of all the health care workers at Le Bonheur and St. Jude for all of their help and care.