Coronavirus: From a stricken family, a triumph of hope

It was no easy entry into the world for baby Neysel, delivered under astonishing circumstances while his mother battled COVID-19.

Baby Neysel was delivered under astonishing circumstances while his mother battled COVID-19. Picture: AFP.

It was no easy entry into the world for baby Neysel, delivered under astonishing circumstances while his mother battled COVID-19.

Zully, a Guatemalan asylum-seeker living in the US, is yet to hold her healthy newborn after testing positive for coronavirus along with her husband, Marvin, and seven-year-old son, Junior.

COVID-19 patient and Guatemalan asylum seeker Zully is comforted by her husband Marvin, also Covid-positive after she arrived home by ambulance. Picture: AFP.

Weeks after giving birth to her son via an emergency caesarean five weeks before her due date, Zully was put on a ventilator at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut, and has since shown dramatic early results.

Neysel is staying with her older son’s teacher, Luciana Lira, who plans to remain as the baby’s temporary custodian until his family recovers and tests negative to the virus. Neysel’s family members are still waiting to be cleared of the virus so they can meet him in person for the first time.

In the meantime, Zully has been introduced to her newborn via Zoom video call.