*A Houston-area mother just met her newborn son for the first time last week after spending more than a month in the hospital battling COVID-19. Half of that time was spent in a medically-induced coma.
Chequile Pettaway said she was excited to find out she was pregnant with baby Karter, but in the ninth month, she tested positive for COVID-19, a week before her baby’s delivery date.
On Aug. 1, the soon-to-be mother of four was admitted into the hospital, and gave birth to Karter the next day. Two days later, she was placed in a medically-induced coma to try to stabilize her organs. It lasted about three weeks.
“I never got to hold him. It was sad because I never got to bond with my son,” Pettaway said as she reminisced on her dreadful journey back to health.
Pettaway didn’t get to hold and kiss her son until Sept. 21, when she was finally out of the hospital.
“I started crying happy tears because I missed him. It was a good day that day.”
Pettaway said she was not vaccinated and if she learned anything from this, she said it was to have listened to the doctors and gotten the shot. Her father and uncle died of the virus and her kids tested positive.
“I didn’t want to get vaccinated while pregnant. I didn’t know how that was going to affect him,” she said.
Now, she’s urging everyone to get the vaccine.
Pettaway has a long road to recovery ahead. Since her release from the ICU, she has been going to rehab in Sugar Land to learn how to walk again and use her arms.
“My kids are my motivation to get better,” she said.
Pettaway’s sister set up a GoFundMe page for donations to go toward the cost of rehab.
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