Lucy Mecklenburgh’s baby daughter is rushed to hospital after struggling to breathe due to common virus

Lucy Mecklenburgh’s baby daughter was rushed to hospital after contracting bronchiolitis from her two-year-old son Roman.

Lilah, who is just two-months-old, was suffering from “coughing and choking” before being rushed to hospital and put on oxygen.

Former TOWIE star Lucy, 30, took to Instagram, to explain the scary situation with her almost 2million followers.

A photo shows baby Lilah being fed by a tube while lying in a hospital bed, as she battled the respiratory tract infection that is known to affect babies and children under two.

Lucy explained that her newborn contracted bronchiolitis from her brother, Roman, who had picked up the infection at pre-school.

She said her daughter hadn’t been "coping well" after catching a cough, and was left "choking on milk and saliva".

Lucy wrote: “It’s #worldbreastfeedingawarenessweek and I wanted to share this monumental moment with you. Since Sunday Lilah has been in hospital with bronchiolitis. She was being tube fed and on oxygen.

“This moment is the special moment she had her first proper breastfeed again and it felt amazing.

“There are times in my bf journeys with both my kids that I felt like I just wanted my body to myself for a day & sometimes felt overwhelmed with the sense of responsibility that they rely so heavily on me to be fed.”

Alongside the photo of Lilah, Lucy also shared a photo of her breastfeeding and went on to thank the NHS workers for their help throughout the scary time.

What is Bronchiolitis? 

Bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection that usually affects babies and children under the age of two.

Most cases clear up within two to three weeks without treatment. However, some infants suffer severe symptoms that require treatment in hospital.

The early symptoms for Bronchiolitis in children may seem similar to those you can get with colds - such as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, a cough and a slightly high temperature of 38C.

But other common symptoms that may develop, include:

• Fever
• Finding it difficult to feed or eat
• Wheezing
• Dry cough
• Becoming irritable

If you see any of these symptoms develop with your child, you should contact your GP or NHS 111.

Lucy Mecklenburgh

Reality TV Personality

Lucy Mecklenburgh is a British television personality and model, best known for appearing  in the ITV2 reality series The Only Way Is Essex, from 2010 to 2013.

She has also made appearances in other reality shows, including BBC One’s gymnastics show, Tumble (2014), cycling-based series, Tour de Celeb (2016), and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls (2017).

In 2012, Lucy set up her own online fashion store, called Lucy’s Boutique, which she would promote through her Instagram account. By 2020, she resigned as director as the store had racked up debts of almost £270,000 and was struggling to make profits.

It was announced in 2013, that Mecklenburgh was to take on a new role of regular columnist for New! magazine.

The former TOWIE star is part of a fitness business, ‘Results with Lucy’, the first online personal training and nutrition website, which has subscribers in the six figures.

She is signed with ‘Select modelling agency,’ and has taken part in a number of campaigns, including Barry M cosmetics. Lucy also released her own clothing range with online retailer, Pretty Little Thing.

The reality star has published a diet and fitness book, titled ‘Be Body Beautiful’, which she has written with the help of her nutritionist and personal trainer.

• Age: 30
• Born: 24 August 1991, in Havering, England 
• Lives: Cheshire
• Relationship: Lucy got engaged to actor Ryan Thomas, in June 2019.
• Children: Lucy and Ryan have two children - Roman, two and Lilah, two-months-old
• Money: Reported net worth of £3.5 million.

Connections

Sam Faiers

Sam Faiers was on The Only Way Is Essex, from 2010 to 2014.

Faiers and Mecklenburgh were best friends in their school days, before both went on to star in The Only Way Is Essex

Sam is a 31-year-old British TV personality, from Brentwood, Essex.

Lydia Bright

Lydia-Rose Bright  was on The Only Way Is Essex, from 2010 to 2017.

After ten years of friendship, they remain firm friends and were recently bonding over both being pregnant at the same time.

Lydia-Rose is a 31-year-old British TV personality, from  Southwark, London.

Kate Ferdinand

Kate Ferdinand was on The Only Way Is Essex, from 2015 to 2017.

Kate and Lucy were close friends on TOWIE, and still have reunions, and playdates with their children - that are of similar ages.

Kate is a 31-year-old British TV personality, from Essex.

Personal Life 

Lucy Mecklenburgh was once engaged to fellow The Only Way Is Essex cast member, Mario Falcone, but their relationship ended in 2012.

She dated gymnast Louis Smith from December 2014 to February 2016, but they split up as Smith wasn’t ready to settle down.

In 2017, Mecklenburgh met English actor, Ryan Thomas, when they both took part in Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. They began dating, and got engaged in June 2019.

The Towie star shares two children with her fiancé Ryan Thomas, a son born in March 2020, and a daughter born May 2022. Ryan also has a daughter, named Scarlet, that he shares with former girlfriend and co-star actress, Tina O’Brien.