Local

Girl, 7, diagnosed with H1N1 on the road to recovery

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 7-year-old girl from Pennsylvania has been in the Florida Hospital for nearly a month with the H1N1 flu.

Jaylea Heim’s family came to Orlando to visit the theme parks but Jaylea got very sick a few days into the vacation.

Doctors diagnosed her with H1N1, also known as the swine flu.

"In the very beginning we didn't know how bad she was until we got to the hospital," said Jaylea Heim's mother, Leah Heim.

Officials with Orange County’s health department said they’ve seen a rise in cases this season but now it’s on the decline.

Jaylea spent nearly three weeks  in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit, but was moved to another hospital room Sunday.

Doctors removed tubes from her Tuesday and kept her sedated until Sunday.

Her parents said it’s hard for the 7-year-old to grasp what happened to her while she was in a medically induced coma, but they comforted her by telling her she was like Sleeping Beauty.

"She could have lost her life. We could have lost our daughter," Leah Hime said.

The family said they have thousands of dollars in hospital bills, but is now getting help from donors online who have heard their story and donated more than $11,000.

"The best part of the story is we have not had to worry about anything except for our daughter," Jason Heim, Jaylea's father,  said.

Doctors said Jaylea is expected to recover.

Heim's parents said the ordeal has been tough on them and their four other children.

LINK: Donate to Jaylea's family