At 8-months-old, Aliviyah McKinney has already proven she's a fighter.
A 'micro-preemie' at birth, she spent her first three months in the hospital, then was hospitalized with a respiratory virus over Thanksgiving.
Now, she's beating COVID-19.
“Been on oxygen since Saturday and came off it today,” said her mom Marrandy Patterson.
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Patterson says Aliviyah got sick last week, tested positive for COVID-19, then Saturday, stopped eating.
She said she was sent to Cook Children’s in Fort Worth after an ER near their home in Sherman diagnosed Aliviyah with COVID pneumonia.
“You feel helpless. She's sitting there coughing, she's having to get poked with IV's and all of this stuff and there's nothing you can do besides sit and just watch,” Patterson said.
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Across Texas, there are 307 pediatric COVID-19 patients hospitalized.
At Cook Children’s, the number of COVID patients increased from 26 on Monday to 35 on Wednesday. Its positivity rate is up from 29.6% on Monday to 31.7% on Wednesday.
Doctors at Childrens Health Plano say they're seeing similar trends.
“That is basically mirroring what is going on in the nation,” said Dr. Carla Garcia Carreno.
Children five and up are eligible to get vaccinated.
Wednesday, a CDC panel backed boosters for kids 12-15.
As Patterson prepares to take Aliviyah home from the hospital, she says she hopes more people get vaccinated to protect infants like hers who can't.
“The second they do, if they come out with one, she will be one of the first in line to get it so we don't have to go through this again,” Patterson said.
