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HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (KDVR) — A Colorado toddler contracted COVID-19 last year and developed multi-system inflammatory syndrome, a rare but serious complication from the virus known as MIS-C.

Months later, FOX31 checked in with the Beck family to see how their little girl is progressing and how she’s helping doctors learn more about the syndrome.

Emilia Beck is now 3 years old and is a ball of energy, but that wasn’t always the case. In the spring of 2021, the Beck family contracted COVID-19, but one month later Emilia took a turn and wasn’t doing well. Her mother, Nina, said it started with a fever and got worse.

“She just got really, really sick, really fast,” Nina said. “It was really scary for us.”

Nina said Emilia was admitted to Children’s Hospital three days in just one month and had symptoms of fever, lethargy, a rash, swollen limbs and discolored lips, among other things.

“I was scared in the hospital,” Emilia said.

Doctors diagnosed the then 2-year-old with MIS-C, which causes body organs to become inflamed. Her father, Derek Beck, recalled his daughter’s recovery.

“In the first one to three months, she was out of breath a little bit more and it took some time,” Derek said. “I think it was just part of her heart function kind of returning back to normal.”

Derek also said that his daughter developed a dysfunctional left ventricle. With weekly and monthly visits to the doctor, Emilia now has a clean bill of health but is being tracked by doctors to monitor her progress and help them understand more about the syndrome.

A new study released a few weeks ago with the help of a Denver doctor revealed a better understanding of MIS-C. It showed that those who develop it are likely younger healthy children, obese or African American.

“That’s the scariest part for us,” Nina said. “We don’t have any view into how it will impact her long-term. It’s still just really real for us.”

Emilia’s parents tell FOX31 they are still taking precautionary measures to protect their daughter. They are still wearing masks and setting boundaries for who they come into contact with, hoping to protect their little girl.