A Detroit suburban woman who was infected with the coronavirus gave birth late last year and weeks later underwent a double lung transplant to save her life, doctors said Wednesday.
Two months after the transplant, Jackie Dennis, a teacher in New Boston, says she is doing well. She and the Henry Ford Health System medical team shared their impressive story, with four-month-old Mia Rose in their arms.
“I actually feel pretty normal,” says Dennis, 31. “There are things that are still a bit difficult, maybe taking too many steps, going up and down the stairs. But in general I can do almost anything I want ”.
Dennis was 36 weeks pregnant on November 20 when she went to the emergency room with a cough, headache and shortness of breath. She tested positive for the new coronavirus and was hospitalized.
Doctors decided to induce labor a week later, and Mia was born. Dennis contracted pneumonia and her lungs deteriorated to the point of needing a ventilator. She was then placed on another special respirator, but her lungs did not improve.
‘There really are no words to describe it, right?’ Said Dennis’ husband Ricky. ‘Your wife is fighting for her life and you have a newborn at home. It was difficult”.
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A double lung transplant was performed on January 16.
“His lungs had been totally destroyed by the inflammatory response to the virus, and he couldn’t have lived without a transplant,” says Dr. Lisa Allenspach, medical director of the lung transplant program at Henry Ford in Detroit.
The doctor said the number of lung transplants related to COVID-19 in the United States is low.
“We hope she can go back to work, to do the things she wants to do … Long-term survival is very, very possible and likely,” Allenspach said.