An unvaccinated mother who gave birth to her son while she was in a coma battling Covid met him for the first time on a video call app while she was still fighting the virus.
Sophie Byrne, from Dovecot, didn't know her son Joseph had been delivered by caesarean section until she regained consciousness days later.
The 28-year-old, who had no underlying health conditions, had put off getting the vaccine because of concerns surrounding how safe it was for expectant mothers and was hoping to get jabbed after she had given birth.
But she contracted the deadly virus and spent nine weeks in the Royal Liverpool Hospital, eventually being placed on a ventilator after her condition deteriorated.
When she regained consciousness, she was able to meet Joseph over Facetime a few weeks after he was born but the young mother says she was so heavily sedated, she barely remembers it.
It wasn't until six weeks after she had given birth that she was able to hold her son Joseph for the first time.
Sophie Byrne (pictured), an unvaccinated mother who gave birth to her son while she was in a coma battling Covid, met him for the first time on Facetime while she was fighting the virus
A team from Liverpool Women's Hospital had to be brought into the Royal to deliver her baby 11 weeks early while she was still in the coma.
Baby Joseph was born on August 26 - and the mother-of-three wasn't even aware her son had been born due to the severity of her condition.
Sophie's family received an unimaginable call from medical staff who warned them she may not survive the delivery, and Joseph's father rushed to the hospital to be at her side.
Sophie said: 'Staff at the Royal informed my family that I might not survive the delivery because I was so weak.
'They allowed Joseph's dad to come in and see me but not my parents due to the risk of Covid.'
Joseph was born healthy despite being premature and he was moved onto a neonatal ward while Sophie continued to battle coronavirus on a ventilator.
Sophie's son Joseph was delivered while the 28-year-old (pictured) was still unconscious
Sophie (top inset) was introduced to Joseph on Facetime while he was still in the neo-natal unit
She said:
