LCK In The News

Sammie McFarland, founder of the Dorset-based international charity Long Covid Kids (LCK), was invited to the Women of the Year Lunch. The lunch and awards celebrate and advance the achievements of women across the UK and globally. The invite was in recognition of her work with LCK and raising awareness about the debilitating condition.

She said: “I’m so honoured to have been recognised alongside such incredible women, true trailblazers and changemakers whose impact is inspiring.

"While I wasn’t able to attend in person, my own experience mirrors that of many children with Long Covid who miss school and special moments through no choice of their own.

"As the Covid Inquiry examines decisions that shaped children’s health and education, it’s vital we ensure they’re supported, not penalised. Recognition like this helps shine a light on that need and brings us closer to the understanding and compassion all children deserve.”

The BBC reports on the experiences of children and young people that are due to be highlighted, as the Covid-19 public inquiry prepares to look at the pandemic's impact on children and young people.

They interview Avalyn now 16, who became ill with a Covid infection in October 2021. While schools were beginning to return to normal, Avalyn was struggling with a deep and debilitating fatigue, and eventually left school for home education. It took a year to get a formal diagnosis of long Covid and specialist advice.

"I enjoyed being in school, I enjoyed being social and seeing people, and then suddenly that was taken away from me very quickly," Avalyn says.

The inquiry plans to hear evidence on the impact of children and young people across four weeks from 29 September to 23 October.

A WEYMOUTH campaigner is calling on the government to apologise to children over its handling of Long Covid.
Sammie McFarland of Weymouth, who set up Long Covid Kids to support children and families, has called on the government to take responsibility for its 'inaction' over recognising the condition sooner.
Long Covid is a disabling, multi-organ condition that emerged in 2020 and continues to affect thousands. The World Health Organisation describes its impact as “changes in eating habits, physical activity, behaviour, academic performance, social functions and developmental milestones.”

A teenager from Dorset has told the Covid-19 inquiry her ongoing symptoms often leave her feeling "left out".
The inquiry hopes to understand the ongoing impact of the pandemic and is expected to last four weeks.
Before being diagnosed, Molly said she used to be "really active and sporty".
"Now I live with on-going symptoms that stop me from doing the things that most teenagers can," she said.
Molly spent long periods in hospital and said she was forced to miss out on most of her secondary education.
"I often feel left out because my friends have moved on and I can't keep up."

Sammie McFarland, from Weymouth, said she was 'honoured' to contribute to a landmark international study which confirms the condition is debilitating, and the global response must be drastically scaled up.

The Delphi study, involving more than 150 experts across medicine, research, and patient advocacy, represents a first-of-its-kind consensus on the priorities, gaps, and urgent needs surrounding Long Covid.

Ms McFarland said the new study concluded that the impact of Covid-19 on children
'must be a research priority' from understanding the long-term health effects to supporting learning, development, and mental wellbeing.