Country singer Jimmie Allen’s six-week-old daughter, Zara James, is recovering after a health crisis.
In a detailed Instagram post, the star’s wife, Alexis Allen, shared that their newborn was hospitalized for several days after struggling with symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, last week.
“On Tuesday night I was traveling on the tour bus from Nash to be closer to family knowing that Jimmie had a busy week with work,” Allen, 25, wrote. “Zara had been resting the majority of the ride but around 10 p.m. she woke up with a coughing fit for well over 10 mins. Knowing this is something we went through before, I decide to turn the shower on and let the steam help open her airways up a bit. Tried suctioning. Chest rubs. Nothing seemed to work.”
Allen wrote that Zara was “unresponsive” and “turning color” as they asked their drivers to pull over and call 911. She said waiting for first responders was “the longest 15 minutes of (her) life.”
“My baby was so so tired her muscles had given up on her,” Allen wrote. “I did everything under the sun to keep her awake and thank god it seemed to work. She was soon in the ambulance with oxygen and finally started to regain her color.”
Allen's post included photos of the newborn at home and in the hospital, including one sweet image of Zara cuddled on her father's chest.
Allen went on to experess gratitude for the EMTs, nurses, and medical professionals for providing their daughter with care, while also advising mothers and fathers to trust their instincts if they are faced with a similar situation.
“Mommies & daddies please go with your gut,” she wrote. “I wish I would've taken action sooner but I am also incredibly thankful to have another day of being her mama.”
On Friday night, Jimmie Allen tweeted a photo of the newborn sleeping and thanked supporters for their positive messages.
“Zara is doing a lot better,” he wrote. “She’s off oxygen and breathing on her own. Hopefully she stays like this and can go home soon. Thanks for the well wishes, positive energy and prayer. 🤙🏽”
In an earlier post last week, the "Best Shot" singer criticized medical professionals at a different hospital who discharged Zara earlier in the day. He said that the infant had been brought to an unnamed Tennessee hospital because she was "having a hard time breathing," but doctors only checked her heart rate and temperature. The decision to discharge her, he said, led to his wife needing to call 911 after the infant became unresponsive.
He did not name the hospital where Zara was first treated.
In addition to Zara, the proud parents share 20-month-old Naomi Bettie Allen, who was born on March 1, 2020. The pair have also been raising Jimmie Allen’s 7-year-old son from a previous relationship, Aadyn.
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