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'A miracle': Baby delivered while mom positive with COVID-19 was intubated

Nurses at Mary Washington Hospital took care of a coronavirus-infected mom and her newborn baby.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — There has been a lot of sadness surrounding coronavirus, but nurses at Mary Washington Hospital have something special to celebrate. They helped deliver a baby while the mother, who tested positive for coronavirus, was intubated. 

"It's been absolutely incredible. Throughout my whole career, if you told me something like this would happen, I couldn't even fathom," said Eileen Dohman, Chief Nursing Officer of Mary Washington Healthcare.

It has been an tough time for nurses working on the front lines, treating coronavirus patients.

"They're so sick, and they're requiring a lot of support from us -- machines, medications. In my three years in ICU, these are the sickest patients I have ever seen," ICU nurse Katrina Sullivan said.

One of the patients that was admitted was a pregnant woman. Katrina Sullivan took care of her during her time in the hospital. 

"You're more worried, and you're checking everything because you have two lives you're worried about, not just mom," Sullivan said.

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At about 35 weeks, doctors had to deliver the baby through an emergency C-section while mom was intubated.

"I can't imagine as a mother not being there the second my child was born. For her, she was asleep. She went to sleep pregnant and she woke up not pregnant. I can only imagine her fear," said Lori Bowden, a NICU nurse who took care of the newborn. 

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The mother was extubated just a few days after the baby was born. After a week and a half, the baby was able to leave the hospital with his father. And after negative coronavirus tests, the mother was able to head home, too.

"It's fabulous. I can only imagine how happy mom and dad are with their baby. It is truly a miracle," Bowden said.

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