HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – An encouraging trend has come since the peak of the omicron variant as the daily count of new COVID-19 cases in Florida continues to decline.
Despite the positive turn, families are still suffering hardships with infections turning critical for the unvaccinated.
Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez spoke with one such family, one that is grateful that their loved one is finally on the road to recovery.
“I believe my sister is soon to be a walking miracle,” said John Ayala.
Being able to kiss her 9-year-old son Sebastian’s cheek and hug her 11-year-old daughter Gabriella is not something 44-year-old Stacey Silva has been able to do for months.
“She would tell me I can’t even move because then my oxygen level drops,” said Madalyn Rodriguez, Silva’s first cousin.
Now Silva is recovering from a battle with COVID that Alaya and Rodriguez say nearly claimed her life.
It began with a call that came in late October of last year.
“Her two kids had just gotten over COVID, so when she went into the urgent care she was diagnosed with a pneumonia and COVID positive,” Rodriguez explained.
Then suddenly Silva, an unvaccinated single mother of two, fell so ill that she was admitted to an area hospital.
She was intubated which meant she was unable to speak with her children.
“She just got progressively worse, and the nightmare began,” said Ayala. “Just the thought of losing her in any type of way was just horrible, and then those kids, it’s something you don’t want to prepare for but you find yourself preparing. Our mom, she is older, she is a breast cancer survivor, she has been helping with them. I had been helping with them. I had the thoughts of taking over for my niece and nephew, becoming their dad, it was just a difficult time.”
Weeks turned into months as the family prayed for a miracle, The holidays passed; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and then finally, a blessing.
“I am just so humbled by this experience that she went through that my faith has been restored,” Alaya said.
Silva has been getting better, surviving to see her children and to feel their embrace.
“My sister is coming home, she’s going to beat it, she’s coming back and I am just so happy about that,” Alaya said.
On Monday, Silva moves to a rehabilitation center.
Her hope is that she will be able to recover by March to celebrate her daughter’s 12th birthday at home with her family.
Silva’s family told Local 10 News she now plans to get vaccinated.