Lady anticipated to dwell solely hours after being faraway from ventilator, survived COVID-19 – CBS Pittsburgh

By jimadmin On Dec 20, 2020

By David Williams, CNN

(CNN) – Rhonda Withem’s family was ready to say goodbye after making the tough decision to take her off the ventilator that kept her breathing while battling Covid-19.

Doctors said Withem would likely only live a few hours without the ventilator, but when they removed it, she appeared to “come to life,” daughter Nicole Brewer told CNN.

Brewer, her sister, and her brother-in-law watched through a glass door on November 29th as staff at Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Arkansas, took them off the machine.

“When they did everything, she woke up and saw my sister and [was] She raised her hand to wave to us, ”Brewer said.

Brewer said she could see Withem trying to smile at her.

Withem, 62, tested positive for Covid-19 on November 7 and quarantined at home.

At first she just had a headache, cough, and congestion, Brewer said. However, her condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital a week later and immediately put on the ventilator.

Withem didn’t respond to efforts to wean her off the machine, and after nearly two weeks her doctor said she would never be able to breathe on her own again, Brewer said.

The hospital staff made the family wait outside the room so they could be close to what awaited them for their final moments.

Seeing Withem waving and smiling gave the family hope, but they still didn’t know if they would make it.

Withem got stronger and stronger and in the next few days she was able to move from intensive care to a regular Covid-19 room, her daughter Rebekah Goshien told CNN.

She was a little confused at first after being sedated for so long, but she was able to have FaceTime conversations with her daughters and grandchildren.

On December 10th – Goshien’s birthday – Goshien saw her mother and hugged her tightly. Withem had been taken to a rehabilitation room to build strength after being bedridden for so long.

“I was the first to see her, so that was a nice birthday present for me,” said Goshien.

Withem can now have one visitor a day so the sisters take turns visiting her.

Goshien saw her on Friday and said she got up five times during her therapy session, which was a big improvement over the previous day.

She is now pushing around in her wheelchair to increase her arm strength and play bingo in therapy so she can practice moving her elbows and building stamina while sitting.

Goshien said her mother also did word search puzzles and could use her cell phone.

Withem lived in Benton all her life, and the family credits the prayers of the ward and loved ones for their recovery.

“My family saw a miracle … and it’s just all of the honor and all for God,” said Goshien.

The family set up a GoFundMe account to help Withem pay their medical bills and other expenses.