Boy, five, with rare syndrome is fighting for his life after catching Covid

A five-year-old boy with a rare health condition is fighting for his life after contracting Covid.

Little Rupert Moore tested positive for Covid after he initially began experiencing symptoms on November 21.

Rupert was taken straight to Margate’s QEQM Hospital so they could monitor his symptoms before being rushed to intensive care at Evelina Children’s Hospital in London on Wednesday 24.

Rupert, from Herne Bay, Kent – who also has a rare condition known as Vici syndrome, initially began displaying symptoms of fatigue before deteriorating.

His condition means he is unable to talk, is registered blind, is unable to eat, suffers from epilepsy, and has to have round the clock care. 

Rupert was taken straight to Margate’s QEQM Hospital so they could monitor his symptoms before being rushed to intensive care at Evelina Children’s Hospital in London on Wednesday 24

Mum Camilla Crick, 28, was told the five-year-old was unlikely to make it over the next 48 hours last week but insists Rupert is fighting through the illness. 

Camilla, a stay-at-home mother, explained: ‘On the Sunday, my partner got a message from work saying four people had tested positive for Covid and that same day, I had an email from my daughter’s nursery saying someone in the class had also tested positive so we all took tests.

‘We all tested positive apart from my eldest, so I called up our local hospital who already knew of Rupert as he’s on an intensive care plan and they told his dad to take him in.

‘On Monday, I found out he had deteriorated overnight and he began struggling to breathe.

‘On Wednesday, the doctors told me he’s in a really bad way and wasn’t responding to antibiotics and there wasn’t much more they could do.

Rupert with his mum, Camilla, 28, hopes he will be able to fight through this most recent hurdle after her son was diagnosed with Vici syndrome in 2017, to which doctors said he would not make it to see his fourth birthday

‘We have a care plan in place for Rupert so I could have chosen to not put him in intensive care or try to save his life but I knew he wasn’t ready to go so they rushed him to Evelina London Children’s Hospital for intensive care.

‘He’s fighting so far and he’s making small improvements; he can open his eyes now and the infection is slowly clearing but it’s going to be a long process.’ 

Rupert was diagnosed with Vici syndrome in 2017 and his parents were told by experts that he wouldn’t make it to see his fourth birthday. 

But as he’s continuing to defy the odds, mum Camilla is hoping he will be able to fight through this most recent hurdle.

She added: ‘I have two other children – Levi, nine, and Myla, three – and they both miss him so much.

Rupert, left, pictured with his sister Myla, three. Mother Camilla said she received an email from Myla’s nursery saying someone in the class had also tested positive so the family got tests

Rupert, right, pictured with his brother, Levi, nine. Rupert’s siblings are said to ‘miss him so much’, and despite his condition, ‘he does everything with us and is more than capable of coming on days out and holidays with the family,’ says mum Camilla

His family is fundraising through JustGiving to help pay for accommodation in London while Rupert is in hospital.

‘Despite his condition, he does everything with us and is more than capable of coming on days out and holidays with the family.

‘I wanted him to be treated like any other normal child which is why I decided to put him in intensive care because I knew he wasn’t ready to go.

‘He’s happy all the time; everyone who meets him loves him because he has such a big personality.

‘I call him my little superhero because he’s continuing to amaze me and prove doctors wrong.’

Rupert’s family are fundraising for accommodation in London while Rupert is in hospital, and so far have raised over £2,700.