An Abbotsford mom with COVID-19 whose baby was delivered while she was in an induced coma has been released from hospital.
Gillian McIntosh posted Wednesday (Dec. 30) on a GoFundMe page set up in support of her family that she was discharged from hospital on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.
She described being able to celebrate the holidays with her family as “one of the best gifts” she has ever received.
Gillian and her husband Dave had been expecting their second child – they also have a three-year-old daughter – on Nov. 25, but Gillian was hospitalized and diagnosed with COVID-19 on Nov. 6.
The family has said they do not know how Gillian contracted the virus.
By Nov. 10, her condition deteriorated to the point that she required a ventilator to breathe, and the decision was made to deliver the couple’s baby by C-section that evening while she was in an induced coma.
Gillian remained in critical condition, and Dave was able to bring their newborn son home on Nov. 25.
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Gillian came off the ventilator and was able to finally meet her newborn son, Travis, on the weekend of Dec. 12-13.
“It’s a very surreal experience to wake from a month-long coma, when the last thing I remember was going to the emergency department having trouble breathing and texting my husband that they were going to keep me in for a few days,” she posted on the GoFundMe page.
“Waking up, no longer pregnant, but to know our sweet baby boy joined the world and was healthy was such a relief and blessing.”
Gillian said the “outpouring of kindness” that the family received during their ordeal “reinforces that there is much goodness that surrounds us.”
“Thank you to every single one of you for your thoughts, prayers, good wishes and donations during this unexpected life event.”
Family friend Corina Rochon also thanked all the supporters, and said that the GoFundMe campaign, which raised almost $101,000, will be closed Thursday (Dec. 31).
“I am so very grateful this story can close with a positive update,” Rochon wrote.
She started the campaign to help support the family with expenses while Dave is off work as a machine operator with a Langley company.
It is anticipated that Gillian will have long-term complications and will be unable to return to her sales job at a Surrey screening equipment company.
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