Lisa Martin was in a medically-induced coma for 40 days and on a ventilator for 59 days.
It's not easy to face difficult situations especially when it's related to health. It feels like it's easier to give up hope when we've been let down too many times. This has been the situation for many since the beginning of the pandemic, including the Martin family from Blackshear, Georgia.
The family went through an intense rollercoaster ride after Lisa Martin tested positive for the novel coronavirus and then developed terrible complications from it. Lisa, a mother-of-four, was admitted to the Memorial Satilla Health ER in Waycross, Georgia in September 2020, but she's finally home after spending 99 days in various hospitals, according to HNGN.
In the months since she tested positive for the virus, the 49-year-old's life was on tethers as nobody knew if she would survive; somehow, Lisa pulled through. Talking about her miraculous journey, Memorial Satilla Health posted on December 31, “New Year’s Eve has even more significance this year for miracle patient Lisa Martin and her husband, Jeff. Lisa is going home for the first time since Sept. 27 when she was admitted to the Memorial Satilla Health ER with complications from COVID-19."
"Her amazing journey includes 59 days on a ventilator, 40 days in an induced coma, and surviving a frontal lobe stroke. On Oct. 20, Lisa was comatose, her eyes fixed. The hospital called in her family to say goodbye. They decided to give it 11 days before making a decision about removing her from the ventilator that was breathing for her. But God had other plans,” they continued. On the 11th day, she started responding and moved her hand. For the first time in months, she followed her husband Jeff Martin with her eyes. She then went through some rehab to regain her strength back. She'll now be able to heal from home with her family.
Lisa told First Coast News, "Before Sept. 27, which is the day I entered the hospital, I was in pretty much perfect health. I finally just told Jeff, 'My lungs just hurt so bad,' and I said, 'I've got to go to the ER.' When I went to the ER, I thought I was going to be there for a couple of hours," she said.
However, she was in a medically-induced coma for 40 days and on a ventilator for 59. "The machine couldn't keep up with her oxygen needs," her husband revealed. "When I got into the room, her eyes were open and fixed, and the doctors said they didn't think she was going to make it." "Almost three-and-a-half months of my life, it's kind of like amnesia. I don't remember," added Lisa. She suffered a stroke while in her coma and couldn't speak when she came out of it. "I had to relearn how to walk, talk, swallow, eat," she said. "I have to wear oxygen 24 hours a day, and I have to walk with a walker or a wheelchair for long distances. The doctors think I should make a full recovery." Lisa believes that her recovery is miraculous because no one expected her to come back.
However, the mother-of-four has found meaning in her troubles. According to People, Lisa said, “I can’t wrap my head around what all has happened. I am shocked but amongst all the overwhelming feelings, I feel like this is definitely a God thing. I got to a point where I felt like no one cared for me. I didn’t have a lot of friends, my kids are all grown up and independent and my husband works all the time. I was lonely, but this experience has shown me how loved I truly am.”
Since her story went public, Jeff has kept people updated about his wife's condition. In a post he shared on December 31, 2020, he wrote, “With heartfelt gratitude to God, to each person who lifted up a prayer on Lisa’s behalf, to every healthcare worker: from janitors to physicians and pharmacists, and to everyone who has journeyed along the way — today belongs to YOU!”
Thanking everyone, he continued, “My sweet Shug has made it home!!! This afternoon God gave us a rainbow outside of our front door, as if to say that He has kept His promise. Lisa and I have been overwhelmed by your affection shown through greeting cards, texts, messages, gifts of food, and financial support to carry us along the way these past three months."
“The words ‘thank you’ are simply inadequate to express the depth of our lasting appreciation,” he concluded.
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