“The nurses wheeled me into the cold, brightly lit operating room. Two days later, I awoke in the ICU surrounded by wires, beeping machines, and a picture of my baby I hadn’t even met. The birth of our first child was also the day I almost lost my life.”
‘She’s not asleep yet,’ I heard on the operating table. A needle dug into my arm with urgency as an oxygen mask was placed over my mouth.’: Woman survives life-threatening child birth, ‘Life is too short not to show love’
‘While walking through Walmart, we noticed his body becoming swollen. ‘Do not go home. Do not stop. Go directly to the hospital.’: Child with Eosinophilic Esophagitis survives near-death staph infection
“His fever had gone up to 101.5 We are usually sent home with antibiotics and told to come back a few days later. This time was different. ‘You are lucky you came in when you did, because if you would have waited, he would be dead.’”
‘My shortness of breath got worse. Then came the fever and cough. I was told at the ER, ‘You have lung damage.’ I finally broke down and cried.’: Mom struggling to recover from COVID-19 pleads ‘please don’t underestimate how horrible this illness is’
“Out of nowhere I got VERY sick this afternoon, so my husband sent my butt to the ER. When you’re sick you want your mama, your sister, your brother, your dad, your friends. You want your support system. I finally broke down and cried.”
‘Mommy?’ she whispered. ‘Why wasn’t Daddy wearing his superhero mask?’ My heart fell into my stomach. I knew where this was leading.’: Mom says ‘our babies never had to question our superpowers until now’
“‘I love you, Daddy!’ she said. ‘I love you, too, Baby Girl!’ Then she said, ‘Don’t get coronavirus, Daddy!’ He paused. My heart fell into my stomach.”
‘I woke up gasping for air. The ER doctor told me, ‘I’m sure you have it.’ The nurses were scared. Mack pulled away and I wanted to cry.’: Woman struggles to get tested for Covid-19 says ‘please know this is real, people are dying’
“I’d just been diagnosed with the flu on March 5th and started to feel better until this hit. I was cleaning the restroom when Dante came in and said, ‘Mom, what are you doing? Get out of the bathroom! You are putting on too much bleach!!! You are going to stop breathing!’”
‘This morning I was tested for COVID-19. I am angry I had no choice but to be exposed to it.’: Woman exposed to virus against her will due to insurance malpractice, ‘We didn’t need to be in this position’
“Like everyone else I know, I’ve been practicing social distancing for 3 weeks now. But just over a week ago, I found myself in the Emergency Room. The one place that would put me most at risk of exposure. I’d been avoiding the grocery store, let alone an ER.”
‘How did this happen?’ I was compliant. I self quarantined early out of precaution. I thought I followed the rules.’: Woman tests positive for coronavirus, ‘I don’t wish this illness onto anyone’
“You might think you’re being safe, but I thought that too. Someone I came in contact with wasn’t. That’s why I’m sick. Someone didn’t wash their hands or cover their mouth. They didn’t avoid public places. They carried on like normal.”
‘I keep hearing, ‘Stop complaining, this is what you signed up for.’ We did not sign on to care of others without being properly protected ourselves.’: Nurse urges ‘understand the risks we’re taking against this illness’
“Telling a nurse who is showing up for work every day, bravely walking into a COVID-19 rule out room without proper protection, is the equivalent to telling a police officer they signed up to be an officer without a bullet proof vest and gun, a firefighter they signed up to combat fire without water, or a solider they signed up to go to war without weapon.”
‘My friends have children that are dying. 8 separate friends received devastating news this week, and they’re waiting for the inevitable.’: Woman urges ‘find your suffering friends and show them they are seen’
“We’re separated by a glass wall — those who can see the suffering but don’t know what to do with it are on one side. Grief is on the other side. Take a sledgehammer to that glass wall. Find the people who are scared. Find the friends who are depressed, the person overwrought with terrible grief. Show them they are seen and they are worthy.”
‘Both our kids suddenly had a very high temperature. Then the dry cough started and in that second, I knew what we were dealing with.’: Siblings test positive for coronavirus, ‘Please don’t take this lightly’
“We are a fit and healthy family. We eat well. We exercise. The fevers didn’t come down even after meds. Then the dry cough started. I kept hearing, ‘Kids don’t get sick.’ The doctor came out in full protective gear and said, ‘They’re positive.’ Our kids had been symptom free and up to the minute they got so unwell.”
