A mother who delivered a baby girl while battling COVID-19 is honoring her intensive care unit nurse by naming her the child's godmother.Monique Jones was 26 weeks pregnant with her second child when she was admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri on Sept. 4. She was put in the ICU with severe COVID-19 symptoms."I wasn't feeling good," Jones told CNN. "I had shortness of breath and I had fever."Two days later, the 28-year-old was intubated and placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine. The ECMO machine, often called the "highest form of life support," uses a pump to circulate a patient's blood through an artificial lung. Jones said she was nervous and scared about the procedure.ICU nurse Caitlyn Obrock took care of Jones while she was sedated. The nurse said she would whisper words of motivation to Jones on each shift to let her know she was going to make it through."With Monique being pregnant, she's only a year older than I am, I just felt, like, a strong connection with wanting her to do well," said Obrock. "She truthfully was a light to me. You know, we have to hold out hope."Related video below: Nebraska woman gives birth to son while battling COVID-19Jones said she could feel the positive energy around her as she fought her illness."When I was in my hospital bed, I felt some type of positivity around like a guardian angel," Jones told CNN.When her condition worsened to the point that the medical team was not sure if Jones was going to make it without delivering the baby, they decided to deliver her via an emergency cesarean section, Obrock said.On Sept. 23, Jones' daughter Zamyrah was born at 29 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds, 5 ounces, Jones said. After the birth, the baby was transferred to the St. Louis Children's Hospital, where she was placed in the neonatal ICU.Jones remained at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Obrock placed photographs of Zamyrah in Jones' room.Her condition began to improve after the birth of her daughter, Obrock said. On Oct. 1, she was removed from the ECMO machine. Days later she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where she had to relearn to walk.She first held Zamyrah on Oct. 20, nearly a month after giving birth.While Jones was in rehab, Obrock organized a baby shower for the young mother with gifts for the newborn and $2,000 for Jones and her family.Zamyrah arrived home from the hospital on Dec. 10 and continues to do well, said Jones.The connection between Obrock and Jones has continued to grow. The two said they text daily. Jones decided to make Obrock a godmother for Zamyrah as a way to thank her for all her support."A godmother to me is like a support system," Jones said. "And I felt like she fought for me."Jones says she is still recovering from her illness and has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical expenses.

CNN —

A mother who delivered a baby girl while battling COVID-19 is honoring her intensive care unit nurse by naming her the child's godmother.

Monique Jones was 26 weeks pregnant with her second child when she was admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri on Sept. 4. She was put in the ICU with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

"I wasn't feeling good," Jones told CNN. "I had shortness of breath and I had fever."

Two days later, the 28-year-old was intubated and placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine. The ECMO machine, often called the "highest form of life support," uses a pump to circulate a patient's blood through an artificial lung. Jones said she was nervous and scared about the procedure.

ICU nurse Caitlyn Obrock took care of Jones while she was sedated. The nurse said she would whisper words of motivation to Jones on each shift to let her know she was going to make it through.

"With Monique being pregnant, she's only a year older than I am, I just felt, like, a strong connection with wanting her to do well," said Obrock. "She truthfully was a light to me. You know, we have to hold out hope."

Related video below: Nebraska woman gives birth to son while battling COVID-19

Jones said she could feel the positive energy around her as she fought her illness.

"When I was in my hospital bed, I felt some type of positivity around like a guardian angel," Jones told CNN.

When her condition worsened to the point that the medical team was not sure if Jones was going to make it without delivering the baby, they decided to deliver her via an emergency cesarean section, Obrock said.

On Sept. 23, Jones' daughter Zamyrah was born at 29 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds, 5 ounces, Jones said. After the birth, the baby was transferred to the St. Louis Children's Hospital, where she was placed in the neonatal ICU.

Jones remained at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Obrock placed photographs of Zamyrah in Jones' room.

Her condition began to improve after the birth of her daughter, Obrock said. On Oct. 1, she was removed from the ECMO machine. Days later she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where she had to relearn to walk.

She first held Zamyrah on Oct. 20, nearly a month after giving birth.

While Jones was in rehab, Obrock organized a baby shower for the young mother with gifts for the newborn and $2,000 for Jones and her family.

Courtesy Caitlyn Obrock

Zamyrah arrived home from the hospital on Dec. 10 and continues to do well, said Jones.

The connection between Obrock and Jones has continued to grow. The two said they text daily. Jones decided to make Obrock a godmother for Zamyrah as a way to thank her for all her support.

"A godmother to me is like a support system," Jones said. "And I felt like she fought for me."

Jones says she is still recovering from her illness and has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical expenses.

DAUGHTER CARMEN ALMOST OTW MONTHS EARLY AND NOW HER ICU NURSES ARE STEPPING IN TO SURE, THE FALYMI IS TAKEN CAROFE WHILE SHE CONTINUES TO FIGHT COVID-19. LOOKING AT A WINDOW EVERY DAY CALLING TO SEE IF YOUR WIFE’S GONNA LIVE OR DSIE THE HARDEST THING EVER ERIC ROBESON AND HIS WIFE EMILY BHOT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 IN AUGUST ERIC RECOVERED, BUT EMILY IS STILL FIGHTING TO MEET HER DAUGHTER CARMEN. THAT NIGHT WAS A PRETTY BAD NIGHT FOR THAT BECAUSE SHE’S YOU KNOW,HEY T DID TELL ME THAT SHE PROBABLY WOULDN’T MAKE IT THROUGH THE SURGERY AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO BEING TOLD THAT IS SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HREA WHEN YOU’RE 23EA YRS OLD NOW YOUR WIFE’S NOT GONNA MAKE IT CARMEN CAME INTO THE WORLD AT JUST 29 WEEKS. EMERGENCY C-SECTION TO SAVE BOTH M AND DAUGERHT PUT YOU DOWN LIKE THIS ANITD CAN HAPPEN WHEN CARMEN WAS? BORN ELMI Y’S DO YOU NURSES WANTED TO SEND THE FAMILY SOME BABY GIF,TS BUT COULDN'’ FIND A REGISTRY ONLINE. I HAD ASKED HIM WHERE YOU REGISTERED AND HE SAID WHAT’S THE BABY REGISTRY AND I EXPLAINED MYSELF AND I SAID WHAT ALL DO YOU HAVE RIGHNOW T FOR CARMEN AND WHILE WE HAVE CLOTHES AND I SAID YOU’RE GOING TO NEED A LITTLE MORE THAN CLOTHES. SO I JUST ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD MIND IF I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO JUST CREATE A BABY REGISTRY DONAONTIS QUICKLY STARTED POURING IN FROM OTHER NURSES. AND FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FILLING UP SCHWARTZ’S GARAGE FOR ERIC. IT’S TRULY A NIGHTMARE WAKING UP EVERY DAY AND WONDERGIN WILL MY WIFE MAKE IT THROUGH TODAYHE S WENT IN THERE WITH JUST HER FAMILY WORRYING ABOUT I DON’T KNOW. SHE’S ICU NURSSE WORRYING ABOUT HER PEOPLE CALLING ME ASKING. SHE’S OKAY. YOU JUST THAT EXATR SUPPORT AND YOU KNOW REACHING OUT AND TALKING TO ME AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IT HELPSUT O A LOT. IT’S BEEN SUCH AN EASY ROADOW N THAT SOMEONE’S HAD MY BKAC THROUGH IT ALL AS ERIC GETS READY TO BRING CARMEN HEOM FROM THE HOSPITAL. HE’S ALSO HOPING HIS WIFE WILL GET TO COME HOME TOO TH COME ON, LOOKS LIKE IAN WT TO SHOW HER, YOU KNOW OTHER MOM’S STILL THERE. ERIC SAYS HE COMES HEREO T THE HOSPITAL TO VISIT EMILY AND CARMEN EVERY SINGLE DAY. HE ALSO SAYS BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE WERE NOT VACCINATED FOR COVID-19 WHEN THEY DID GET SKIC AND WE DO HAVE A LINK TO THAT REGISTRY ON OUR WEBSITE AT 40/29 TV.COM REPORTING L

ICU nurse starts baby registry for 22-year-old mom battling COVID-19

Updated: 11:41 AM EDT Sep 15, 2021

Eric Robison and his wife, Emily, both tested positive for COVID-19 in August.Eric recovered, but Emily is still fighting to meet her daughter, Carmen."That night was a pretty bad night, because they told me that she probably wouldn't make it through the surgery. Being told that is not something that you're supposed to hear when you're 23 years old, that your wife is not going to make it," Robison said.Carmen came into the world at just 29 weeks in an emergency C-section to save both mom and baby."You don't think when you're young that something can put you down like this, but it can happen if you don't take it seriously," Robison said.When Carmen was born, Emily's ICU nurse, Ashlee Schwartz, wanted to send the family some baby gifts. She said she couldn't find a registry online."I asked Eric where they were registered, and he said, 'What is a registry?' and I went, 'Oh boy.' I asked him what he had for the baby already, and he said, 'Just clothes,' and I said, 'You will need more than just clothes,'" Schwartz said.Schwartz started a registry for the Robison family and donations quickly started pouring in from other nurses and people in the community, filling up her garage."For Eric, it's truly a nightmare waking up every day and wondering if his wife will make it through the day," Schwartz said.As Eric gets ready to bring Carmen home from the hospital, he is also hoping his wife will get to come home, too."That's all I want her to do is come home. Carmen deserves to have a mom. I don't want to look in the future and show her pictures of what her mom looked like. I want to show her while her mom is still there," Robison said.Eric said Emily was not vaccinated for COVID-19 when she got sick.

FORT SMITH, Ark. —

Eric Robison and his wife, Emily, both tested positive for COVID-19 in August.

Eric recovered, but Emily is still fighting to meet her daughter, Carmen.

"That night was a pretty bad night, because they told me that she probably wouldn't make it through the surgery. Being told that is not something that you're supposed to hear when you're 23 years old, that your wife is not going to make it," Robison said.

Carmen came into the world at just 29 weeks in an emergency C-section to save both mom and baby.

"You don't think when you're young that something can put you down like this, but it can happen if you don't take it seriously," Robison said.

When Carmen was born, Emily's ICU nurse, Ashlee Schwartz, wanted to send the family some baby gifts. She said she couldn't find a registry online.

"I asked Eric where they were registered, and he said, 'What is a registry?' and I went, 'Oh boy.' I asked him what he had for the baby already, and he said, 'Just clothes,' and I said, 'You will need more than just clothes,'" Schwartz said.

Schwartz started a registry for the Robison family and donations quickly started pouring in from other nurses and people in the community, filling up her garage.

"For Eric, it's truly a nightmare waking up every day and wondering if his wife will make it through the day," Schwartz said.

As Eric gets ready to bring Carmen home from the hospital, he is also hoping his wife will get to come home, too.

"That's all I want her to do is come home. Carmen deserves to have a mom. I don't want to look in the future and show her pictures of what her mom looked like. I want to show her while her mom is still there," Robison said.

Eric said Emily was not vaccinated for COVID-19 when she got sick.

Brittany Smart has spent months tending to the COVID-19 patients who poured into Texas hospitals as the virus raged across the state — and the country.It has been devastating, the ICU nurse told CNN Tuesday night, speaking right after the end of another shift.Health care workers had begun to see a light at the end of the tunnel, she said, amid ongoing vaccinations and after several weeks of declining COVID-19 cases. But that was "shut down" when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was lifting the statewide mask mandate and capacity limits on businesses, Smart added."We're all pretty exhausted and I'm scared of what this is going to look like," she said.Smart said she doesn't think now is a safe time to take away the mask mandate and called the governor's move "nerve-racking."COVID-19 trends across the U.S. may have been encouraging for a while, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned earlier this week that recent steep declines in cases now seem to be "leveling off at still very high numbers."The U.S. has averaged more than 65,000 new COVID-19 cases daily for the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University data. More than 46,300 people remain hospitalized with the virus nationwide, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Texas announced more than 6,600 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and more than 270 newly reported COVID-19 deaths, according to state data. More than 5,600 COVID-19 patients remain in the state's hospitals, the data shows. Related video: Retired nurse volunteers to help with vaccinations"It's not like the Covid patients are gone," Smart said. "It's not like they're not dying. It's just that we no longer need a refrigerated truck outside, is the deal.""We don't have people in the hallways anymore, stretchers," she said. "So, breathing is a little bit easier but... it's not better."And experts have warned the country could see another surge in just a matter of weeks, fueled by highly contagious variants already circulating in the U.S. That's why, they've cautioned, it's critical not to let up on safety measures just yet."My biggest fear is that we're going to lose more people," Smart said.

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