Benton, Ark. – Rhonda Withem’s family was ready to say goodbye after making the difficult decision to take her off the ventilator that had allowed her to breathe while battling COVID-19.
Doctors said Withem would probably only live for a few hours without the fan, but when they removed it, she seemed to “come to life,” daughter Nicole Brewer told CNN.
Brewer, her sister, and brother-in-law watched through a glass door on Nov. 29 as staff at Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Arkansas, pulled her off the machine.
“When they took everything off, she started to wake up and see my sister and [was] “She raised her hand to wave at us,” said Brewer.
Brewer said she could see Withem smile.
Withem, 62, had tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 7 and quarantined at home.
At first, she just had a headache, cough, and congestion, Brewer said. But her condition worsened and she was hospitalized a week later and immediately put on a ventilator.
Withem did not respond to attempts to wean her off the machine, and after nearly two weeks, her doctor said she would never be able to breathe on her own again, Brewer said.
The hospital staff let the family wait outside the room so they would be close for what they expected to be her last moments.
Seeing Withem waving and smiling gave the family hope, but they still didn’t know if she would make it.
Withem got stronger and stronger and over the next few days she was able to move from the ICU to a regular COVID-19 room, her daughter Rebekah Goshien told CNN.
She was a little confused at first after being sedated for so long, but she was able to FaceTime calls with her daughters and grandchildren.
On December 10th – Goshien’s birthday – Goshien was able to see her mother and give her a big hug. Withem had been moved to a rehabilitation room to recuperate after being bedridden for so long.
“I was the first to visit her, so that was a good birthday present for me,” said Goshien.
Withem can now have one visitor per day, so the sisters take turns visiting her.
Goshien saw her Friday and said she got up five times during her therapy session, which was a big improvement from the day before.
She is now pushing herself around in her wheelchair to increase her arm strength and play bingo in therapy so she can practice moving her elbows and build her stamina while sitting up.
Goshien said her mom has also made word search puzzles and can use her phone.
Withem has lived in Benton all her life, and the family thanks the prayers of the community and her loved ones for her recovery.
“My family has seen a miracle… and it is just all glory and all to God,” Goshien said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help Withem pay for her medical bills and other expenses.