A BRAVE teen who battled Covid pneumonia in intensive care has defied the odds to reach his 16th birthday. The family of Taylor Smith was told to ‘expect the worst’ as he fought Covid pneumonia for three weeks in January at Manchester Children’s Hospital. The Barrovian was diagnosed with Niemann-Pick disease type C when he was just a baby and his family were warned his life-limiting condition could mean he might never see his 13th birthday. Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare progressive genetic disorder characterised by an inability of the body to transport cholesterol and other fatty substances inside of cells.