Mother reunited with newborn after days in ICU battling COVID-19

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Olivia Lane was born Sunday, March 21 at Texoma Medical Center. At 6 lbs, 12 oz, the baby girl is healthy despite a birth that came sooner than expected.

“I knew I was sick, but I didn’t know how sick” said mother Rhiannon Lane.

About a week earlier, Lane had flu-like symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19. On day five, her breathing became difficult and she went to the hospital.

“They decided it was time to take the baby via C-Section, because it was stressing me and the baby out,” Lane said.

Shortly after giving birth, Lane’s health immediately began to decline and she was rushed into ICU.

“It was very hard because my first baby, I was able to hold her, I got to experience it. This time, I told her I loved her and she was whisked away, because of the severity of the COVID- it was very traumatic,” Lane said.

Lane was on a ventilator and she was fighting for her life.

“While in ICU I thought, this is it. I’m not coming back. I don’t know if I’m going to make it tonight,” she said.

With baby Olivia safely at home with dad, friends, family and hospital staff kept Lane going.

“I didn’t know that they had made these collages at first, I was so out of it,” Lane said. “Someone told me that it was my baby on the wall, and it’s what kept me going.”

After 18 days of being in ICU, Rhiannon was finally able to hold her baby.

“I read all the messages that they gave, it was so touching. To finally get that moment to hold my daughter, to celebrate her, it was almost like, ‘no we didn’t get that moment at the time’ but we finally got to celebrate.”

Rhiannon is still in the hospital recovering but is now COVID free.

If she’s well enough, she may be home by this weekend.

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