Gaz Beadle’s fiancée Emma McVey can’t sleep over fears their sick newborn could starve and contract coronavirus
SLEEPLESS nights as a new mum are to be expected, but what's keeping Emma McVey up at night feels like life or death.
Her daughter Primrose - who she shares with Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle - relies on medication after being born with an undiagnosed condition.
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And the deadly coronavirus pandemic is threatening to put the four-month-old at risk with uncertainty over her future hospital appointments and prescriptions.
Now 27-year-old model Emma says her anxiety is "through the roof" as she self-isolates her family-of-four and waits for guidance from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
"I'm very anxious because no one knows what to expect," Emma told The Sun.
"I'm panicking and getting snappy with Gary because if we go into lockdown it could be very serious for our family. I've lost sleep over what's happening.
"There isn't baby milk on the shelves because people are selling it on eBay. How do they sleep at night?
"Our babies literally need that to survive, that's why people are panicking."
Since birth, Emma and Gary's daughter has been unable to naturally pass stools.
It was originally feared she has Hirschsprung's disease, but medics are still unsure of her diagnosis.
The baby currently takes medication including lansoprazole, SMS alfamino and movicol if needed - as well as having Botox injected to ease her symptoms.
But Emma relies on doctors and the pharmacy to get Primrose what she needs.
Despite being self-isolated, the mum-of-two reluctantly left the house this week to take poorly Primrose to see an osteopath to ease her pain.
Emma said: "I didn't want to leave the house but she's gone for three days without going to the toilet and so she's blocked herself up and refused feeds.
"She's also got acid reflux as well. The osteopath always relaxes her and I take her when she's on a bad turn.
"We've got a lot of problems with her. She's got hospital appointments coming up but everything is up in the air.
"This is why I'm even more anxious because she's on medication and a special formula. Her Botox will start to wear off in the next four weeks.
"If she can't have it she won't be able to go to the toilet. My anxiety is through the roof with it.
"They can't give us a worse case scenario. The NHS is just mayhem at the minute. I just don't know what's going to happen."
Baby Primrose and her big brother Chester's ill health has often pushed Emma and Gary to breaking point.
And now the added pressure of Covid-19 has made them keep the kids indoors out of fear they'll catch the deadly bug.
They've also had their work cancelled and Gary's business is struggling as the coronavirus sweeps across Britain.
"You always turn to the person closest to you and snap," Emma admits.
"But having sick children has made us stronger because we went through a major rocky patch when Chester was born.
"I sometimes have really down days and so does Gary too. You lose a lot of your life.
"We didn't get a normal, easy baby - even they can be a strain on a relationship never mind a baby that never sleeps, is sick and no one can look after so you can have an hour off.
"You see your child constantly crying, but then see your friends with normal babies who don't have the problems we do.
"But because me and Gary came through the other side it's made us so much stronger.
"I feel like we've got such a strong family unit because we spent so much time as a family."
Brits across the country are panicking at the idea of having to self-isolate for weeks or even months in an attempt to stop the spread of the deadly bug.
But for Emma, she says having a poorly child has made her self-isolate naturally over the last four months.
"I don't actually feel like the isolation will make a difference to our lives," Emma admitted.
"We barely get to leave the house as it is. We take it in turns to take Chester out, but we've been completely isolated since we had Primrose.
"We're used to doing stuff in the house together as a family. It's a good thing because some couples don't spend that much time together normally and can end up arguing."
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Like many others, Emma has the added worry of parents in ill health and elderly grandparents, as well as two small children.
"I feel worried about my mum and Gary's granddad who both live on their own.
"I won't let Chester and Primrose near my grandparents, but what do we do? We don't want them to be alone.
"Luckily I've always got jumbo packs of nappies at the house, but I've told Gary we're going to have to start rationing our food. I haven't even gone to the shops because I don't want the kids to be exposed.
"Knowing our luck we're going to have a child who gets coronavirus."
Emma added: "It's been eye-opener about what you take for granted. I hope this is all over as fast as it came."