Laura's COVID Story

Laura spent 52-days in the hospital after contracting COVID. She was 32-weeks pregnant, had to get induced early to relieve pressure on her lungs, had to be intubated and put on a ventilator, one of her lungs collapsed, and she had to have a tracheostomy before she was able beat COVID and begin recovery.

-From the St. Lukes Original Story - St. Lukes Story

"The medical team evaluated Laura and transferred her to Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City where she was soon admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. She continued to get worse and was struggling to breathe on her own without more and more advanced oxygen support.

With growing concern for the baby, Dr. Michelle Haines, a critical care physician, called in Dr. Karen Florio, with Saint Luke’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists. Although it was eight weeks before Laura’s due date, they agreed inducing labor would give Laura and her baby the best chance for survival."

"“You can’t imagine how many people were praying for her,” Dr. Haines said. “She affected everybody. Every patient is important, but there was something about her having a newborn baby, and we just needed to get her better. We all thought about her day and night.”