Jazmin Kirkland: Woman says her own toddler couldn't recognize her after year-long Covid battle
DENISON, TEXAS: A woman who was hospitalized for over a year because of Covid-19 has now made it back to her home, and her youngest child couldn't recognize her. For the first time after being hospitalized for Covid-19 last year, 34-year-old Jazmin Kirkland was reunited with her family this past month, according to KXAS.
The woman and her husband, Kody, were staying with some relatives when they contracted the virus. Jazmin was admitted to the Texoma Medical Center and, around two weeks later, she was put on a breathing tube. Meanwhile, Kody's health began to get better.
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In a talk with Good Morning America, she said, "I started to pray and was like, 'God, please don't let me die... just let me wake up. Let me be here for my kids and my husband.' And I just texted my husband and I said, 'I love you. I promise I'm going to keep fighting.'" According to KTBC, Jazmin was put on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine that helps people with a weak pulmonary system deliver oxygen all over the body.
According to KXAS, Jazmin had to be retrained on how to eat and move after overcoming the illness. Her family is hoping that sharing her journey can aid those who have also encountered life-altering effects from the illness. Kody said to KXAS, "Even if it's just one person that can find her story to say like, hey, someone overcame this to give them hope that they can do it too, then that's what I was hoping others would take away from this as well."
According to KXAS and KTBC, Jazmin spent a total of 370 days in the hospital and six months on the ECMO device. On August 9, Jazmin stated that her 2-year-old child couldn't recognize her once she got back home since the child had never encountered her outside of a hospital. "He was 1 when I went into the hospital, and he sees the hospital as that's mom's house. He was confused. He didn't recognize me because I wasn't in my PJs or my hospital gown," said the mom.
Jazmin is still relying on medical oxygen and receiving care. She is expected to make a complete recovery and is grateful to all those who assisted her in getting better. In the interview with Good Morning America, she said, "Saying thank you doesn't feel like it's enough because so many people helped and did so much for us. That's really important for me to thank everyone, everyone who was here for us and showed us how much they loved us, who went out of their way to help. "
