A mother of six who gave birth at the hospital while battling COVID-19 got to meet her baby for the first time Friday, more than two months after the child was born.
It’s been 73 days of waiting that a big, close-knit family could not see their loved one Trichelle McDaniel. She went into the hospital with COVID symptoms on March 11 and four days later her sixth child was born.
She was hospitalized in the early days of the outbreak and the unknown and her condition were of great stress to the family.
"In the beginning, she was really emotional, bad but we constantly talked to her told her keep her head up, put her faith in God and he answered our prayers," said Charles McDaniel, Trichelle’s son.
"I’m just happy that my mama coming out. I’m happy to see her. Can’t wait to see her," said Roneisha McDaniel, Trichelle’s daughter.
On March 11, Trichelle went to the Touro Emergency Room with COVID-19. She went on a ventilator and she was 35 weeks pregnant. Touro doctors had to deliver the child by emergency C-section four days later. She has never held or even seen her baby boy Brian McDaniel. The baby’s dad can’t wait for that moment.
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There was a day he thought she would never come home.
"The, the first week. That was the worst week. When I first got the news that she took a bad turn. Pretty much ever since then it was good news ever since then," said Brian Harris, the baby’s father.
Those who have worked hard caring for the sick, doctors, nurses, and health care workers from Touro who have seen the difficult side of this pandemic, gathered outside the hospital in anticipation. The brass band played. People danced and the family gathered around, carrying flowers and balloons. And then Trichelle got her first glimpse of the overwhelming love.
"I didn’t think it was going to be like this. I knew it was going to be big, but I didn’t think it was going to be this many people," said Brian Harris about the crowd.
"I knew she was going to pull through. I had a lot of hope for her in prayer, so I knew she was going to pull through and make it," said Michon Harris, the baby’s aunt.
"I ain't never have no doubt. You know, just that we kept praying in our church. We were hoping the baby come out healthy, not have any symptoms or problems or anything like that," said Bryant McDaniel, Trichelle’s brother.
And the baby is fine.
Touro plays the song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on the hospital loudspeaker when a patient recovers from COVID-19. Friday Trichelle will get her pot of gold at the end.