Jimmie Allen’s Baby Girl Is on the Road to Recovery After Hospitalization, RSV Battle
Jimmie Allen's 6-week-old daughter, Zara James, is on the mend after a scary week for the family that included a lapse in breathing, hospitalization and an RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) diagnosis.
Allen kept fans posted throughout the ordeal, which began a week earlier, when both Zara and her older sister, 20-month-old Naomi, fell ill.
On Nov. 23, Zara's condition escalated into an emergency. In a series of tweets, Allen shared his frustrations with the "lazy doctors" at an unnamed Tennessee hospital who discharged the family after they brought Zara in while she was having trouble breathing. Later in the night, the infant lost color and stopped breathing altogether, leading to a 911 call and quick, life-saving work from the team of first responders caring for her.
On Sunday (Nov. 28), Allen's wife, Alexis, provided another update on social media. On her Instagram Story, she documented Zara's five-day hospital stay, including images of the baby girl hooked up to oxygen. Alexis, who is a trained RN, also shared their story in a lengthy post, explaining that Zara finally received an RSV diagnosis.
"Time has slowed down for me this past week," she reflected. "I've been able to be present and more aware of the things around me. You never really think about the bad days you go through with a child until you're right in those moments."
Alexis' post also includes a series of photos from the family's ordeal, including snapshots of the family together in the hospital and selfies of Zara in her mom's arms. One photo shows Allen cradling his sick daughter, while another shows both the singer and his baby girl asleep in their hospital room.
"Jimmie, thank you or showing up & being here for your children, ALWAYS. I truly don't know how you do it but you always find a way," Alexis continues, before offering a word of advice to her fellow parents. "Mommies & daddies please go with your gut instinct. I wish I would've taken action sooner but I am so incredibly thankful to have another day of being her mama."
The final slide on Alexis' Instagram Story shows a recovering Zara in her carseat, ready to be discharged from the hospital. "We're going home," the singer's wife writes.