Healthy woman fought to overcome coronavirus

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    PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/KTVK) — A medical school student went from learning about coronavirus to caring for her mom who had it.

Sandy Simon says her 59-year-old mom, Paulina, tested positive for COVID-19 about two weeks ago. The Peoria family is not sure how Paulina, a nurse practitioner, got coronavirus.

“Her only past medical history is high blood pressure, which is controlled,” said Sandy.

Three weeks ago, Paulina had a fever and chills, but doctors thought it was just a cold. Sandy watched her mom get worse.

“She kept saying I really hope I don’t die and that this isn’t super serious,” said Sandy. “The emergency department didn’t seem at all concerned about her. She just had a fever, headaches, and her cough started a few days later.”

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Sandy says she fought for a coronavirus test, but that only happened after several doctors sent her mom home. The third-year med student continued to watch her mom at home, taking her vitals.

“When I saw that her blood pressure was dropping, I was like OK, early signs of sepsis, like, this is not good,” said Sandy. “I put her in the car and said we’re going to the Mayo Clinic.”

Sandy says her mom was admitted into the ICU, and after that, she finally got the call that she had tested positive for coronavirus.

“It’s devastating. It was a nightmare, a living nightmare, especially when you’re in medicine. I mean we’re both medical people, and you can’t help somebody, you see someone fighting for her life, and I was advocating for her at all those hospital visits,” said Sandy.

Sandy said her mom was put on a ventilator and sedated.

“My last words to her were I love you,” said Sandy. “She said I love you, and they sedated her and put her on the vent, and it was just a roller coaster every day.”

“I don’t remember the first week, anything that happened after I got into ICU,” said Paulina.

Slowly, Paulina began to make progress.

“Every time I saw the hospital call, I’m like, ‘Are they calling to tell me she coded, or are they calling to tell me she’s not doing well?'” said Sandy. “It is really, really difficult for sure.”

Sandy says Paulina was released from the hospital Tuesday and finally got to go home. She took another coronavirus test, which came back negative. Her family calls it a miracle.

“Her chances just did not look good,” said Sandy. “According to China’s data they released, she had less than a 7% chance to live. All I could do was sit home and pray that she would just do better, and she’s a fighter.”

Paulina said she is weak but glad to be home.

“I am thankful to God and my family, my daughter, my husband, and my son for the support,” said Paulina.

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