“On April 4th, I went to the hospital because I was coughing nonstop. When I got to the hospital, they took an X-ray. The nurse told me I had pneumonia in my lungs. They tested for COVID-19 and it came back positive. I didn’t know how serious this was.
They brought me up to labor and delivery, then moved me to another section due to fear of the virus. The next day I went into labor. For three months, I kept saying I would not have a c-section; I was determined not to get cut again. In the meantime, my oxygen was dropping. Every time I took a breath in, I would cough over and over. I was taken back to labor and delivery; due to my breathing, I was prepped for a c-section.
At this time, I was already 10cm. I felt the contraction, so I pushed. I closed my eyes and asked God for the breath and strength to push. The doctor was shocked. 30 minutes later, my Angel was born. They immediately took her away. I did not get to see her clearly or touch her. The doctor called for help because my breathing became worse. She and 3 others rushed me to the ICU.
When I got there, they took all kinds of tests. My coughing got even worse. The only way I was able to see my baby was through FaceTime with the NICU nurse. On Wednesday, April 8th, my RN came into my room and put a chair beside me with tears in her eyes telling me, in other words, I was dying. My oxygen was lower than 60 and getting worse. Pneumonia took over my lungs. She asked if I wanted to call anyone.
So, I asked her to call my husband. The nurse shared the bad news with him and brought the option of the ventilator. It would buy me some time and help. I had him on 3-way with my mom and briefly spoke to her and then my younger kids. I sent a text to my family and close friends. They had no clue that I was saying goodbye.
They prepped me for the ventilator and while doing so, I asked Dr. P what my chance of waking up was. He said, ‘1/100.’ I have gone through so much the last 6-7 months and that helped my relationship with God grow more personal. My reaction was like, ‘Wow this is really happening. This nurse just told me I was dying.’ Honestly, I didn’t shed any tears, I wasn’t scared.
Before they put me under, I prayed a quick prayer and hoped that I left the kids with a yearning for God. My last thought was wondering why He went through with blessing me with a baby I would never hold. I knew where I was going so I was at peace.
I was put under Wednesday and woke up Monday. God allowed me to still be here. At that time, I can’t tell you how many people were on their knees praying. I want to thank EVERYONE that prayed for me and my family. All of you are heaven-sent. God is real. We all have our differences in what we believe in: I BELIEVE in GOD.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Florette Johnson. You can follow her journey on Facebook. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
Read more about the coronavirus pandemic:
Do you know someone who could benefit from reading this? SHARE this story on Facebook with family and friends.