POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman marked a special milestone after winning her battle against COVID-19, thanks to the dedicated frontline workers who nursed her back to health.
7News cameras captured loved ones singing “Happy Birthday to You” to Catherine Anne-Marie Etienne at her home, Monday.
The patient, seen wearing a tiara and sash, turned 90 after being released from Broward Health North.
Nurses at the hospital sent special wishes to their former patient in a video.
“Happy birthday, Mrs. Etienne,” they said.
But this birthday is a little extra special.
“Happy birthday, wishing you many more,” said a Broward Health North staff member.
Weeks earlier, the matriarch of a large family was in the hospital after contracting COVID-19.
“Because of her age, she’s kind of the few cases that we see here all the time,” said Dr. Rodolfo Guevara at Broward Health North. “She is one of the luckiest persons, I would say.”
Etienne’s daughter said her mother was visiting her son, who they did not know was positive for the coronavirus.
When they were notified of his positive diagnosis, Etienne began to quarantine, but that is when she started showing symptoms.
“I have to call all my brothers to say, ‘Mommy is not feeling good,'” said her daughter. “I saw something was wrong, and we had to bring her to the hospital.”
“She was coming with a lot of cough, weakness and fevers. She was very weak,” said Guevara, “and she wasn’t really able to complete a sentence because she was short of breath.”
After being admitted, doctors and nurses at Broward Health North got right to work and started her treatment.
“Using those two treatments that she got on time, the plasma with remdesivir, made a difference in her treatment,” said Guevara.
The hardest part was that Etienne had to fight the virus alone.
“It was so sad. You have to say goodbye to her,” said her daughter.
But Etienne continued to improve. Her daughter said her faith never wavered during her recovery.
“She said she knew for sure she would not die by that disease,” she said.
Her family was touched by the hospital staff’s exceptional attention and treatment. Etienne’s son wrote a letter thanking them for all their hard work.
Now Etienne is just happy she can be home, celebrating her major milestone while surrounded by those she loves the most.
“She is very grateful for God and for her children,” said her daughter.
Etienne’s doctor said she is the oldest person he has treated to have survived the virus.
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