On November 22nd, 2021 Valerie tested positive for COVID-19. Four days later, the day after Thanksgiving, Valerie was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia due to COVID-19 & multiple other COVID-19 complications. She spent 9 days in the COVID ward receiving high concentrations of oxygen through a high flow oxygen machine. After they were able to stabilize her blood oxygen levels and decrease the amount of oxygen she was receiving, she was determined eligible for discharge on December 5, 2021. Valerie came home with supplemental oxygen that day; she was not even home for 24 hours before struggling to breathe again, and was immediately readmitted to the hospital on December 6, 2021 for acute respiratory failure with hypoxia. She spent the following 6 days back in the COVID ward where her inflammatory response and oxygen requirements continued to increase until even a bi-pap/c-pap machine with a high concentration of oxygen wasn't enough. She was moved to the ICU, placed on a ventilator in an induced coma, around 3:30am on December 12th.
Valerie has made a lot of progress since then; the doctors have been slowly weaning her off the heavy support systems that were once necessary not too long ago. Her oxygen requirements are a lot lower, her ventilator settings aren’t as intense, and they have been able to decrease a lot of different medications. She has successfully avoided serious complications thus far. At this point, Valerie is in the process of weaning off the ventilator. This can be a very long process, but we are so happy she's come this far!
We, her family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the prayers, love, and support you have shared with us along this journey. Those prayers have gotten her a long way! Valerie is one of the most loving, genuine, compassionate, and selfless people on this planet. She’s the life of the party with a smile that lights up a room. Her main motto is and always will be: “share the love!” She has touched a lot of people’s lives & hearts and we know the love she has to share with the world is going to continue. We ask for you, her friends & family who Valerie cares so deeply for, to continue praying hard for complete healing for our girl. She is getting better everyday. We will be posting updates daily so please check back if you are wondering about her status.
We love you all and are so thankful for each of you, Nina, Richard, Loretta, Susie & Lori - Valerie’s daughter, husband, mother, and sisters
I just wanted to give a quick update on Val now that she has been home for a week and a half! My Dad continues to be her primary caregiver at home, and I am coming down once a week for a few days at a time from Denver to help out as much as I can. In addition, a physical therapist comes to her home 2x a week to help her work on her strength. She is still walking with a walker, but she can sometimes use a cane. She is wearing oxygen full time, but only 2-3 liters! She has to remind herself that it's a marathon -- not a sprint. There is still a long way to go in her recovery, but every day is progress. Valerie wanted me to thank you all for the cards, flowers, donations, meals, gifts, and most of all, the prayers & love. She is very humbled. We cannot thank you all enough for your continued prayers and support. Thank you for coming along on this journey with us!
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