MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Kendall Regional Medical Center employees cheered a COVID-19 survivor who has Down syndrome. She was released from the 427-bed hospital on Wednesday in southwest Miami-Dade County.
The woman who was hospitalized after she tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus was not identified.
Her mother spoke to reporters who were waiting outside of the hospital, but she also didn’t identify herself. She did say she was grateful for all of the healthcare workers who made her daughter’s survival possible.
Down syndrome alone doesn’t come with an increased risk for COVID-19, but many people with Down syndrome have underlying health conditions, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.
Many children with Down syndrome have congenital heart disease and are more likely to have blood disorders such as anemia, low iron in the blood, and leukemia, cancer of the white blood cells, according to the National Institutes of Health.
@NDSS believes that health is the most critical human right. They have great resources for people with Down Syndrome. If you hear of any instances of individuals being denied a ventilator or treatment because of their disability, e-mail ahelsing@ndss.org. #ProtectTheVulnerable pic.twitter.com/vHsFZMOtYi
— Rep. Padma Kuppa (@PadmaKuppaMI41) April 14, 2020