This article was translated and excerpted from the January 22 issue of Israel HaYom.
Noa Oz Ari was pregnant when she contracted COVID-19. For months, she was treated at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, where Hadassah’s physicians and nurses fought for her life and that of her unborn baby.
“I was truly between life and death. It’s a miracle that I am alive and embracing my baby,” Noa said.
Noa, age 42, was brought to Hadassah when she spiked a high fever and had great trouble breathing. Within two days her condition had deteriorated, and she was anesthetized and put on a respirator. “Every few days, we checked on the viability of her pregnancy and the condition of the fetus,” noted Dr. Assaf Schwartz, who worked in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. “Her rehabilitation regimen was another challenge on the way to her exit home, but, to our delight, Noa overcame all obstacles with the help of a skilled and professional medical staff, a supportive and enveloping family who did not give up, and a strong will to recover.”
Noa recalled, “It wasn’t a simple time for my family. I was asleep on a respirator for seven weeks. And after that, I continued to be hospitalized for a long time.” But in her eighth month of pregnancy, Noa recovered and was able to return home. Now her happiness has doubled, because not only is she well, but she has a healthy baby girl too. “I was treated by angels,” she said.