Central Florida mom reunites with newborn after 85 days in hospital from Covid-19

By Anika Hope

Click here for updates on this story

    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — For many new parents, the days and weeks after birth are about making memories. For Paola Gambini, the nearly 90 days after her daughter’s birth were about survival.

“I remember just riding in the ambulance, and they’re giving me oxygen. And they’re like, You’re so lucky that you called us when you did,” Gambini said.

At nine-months pregnant, Gambini called 911.

Gambini fought COVID-19 for several days at home, but she said she didn’t know it was so severe.

“They told me that for them to treat me and how serious it was, they would have to do an emergency C-section,” Gambini said.

One of the few things she remembers right after her daughter, Lilliana, was born — Lilliana was healthy.

That’s what mattered most to Gambini.

“After that, I don’t really remember much. I remember, like bits and pieces. I remember whenever they put the ventilator on me. I ended up getting a trach in my neck,” Gambini said.

“That was hard — watching her struggle to breathe from outside the window, and (watching) everything they were having to do while I couldn’t be there and help,” her fiance BJ Hazen said.

Their family helped take care of Lilliana in the meantime.

“When we would FaceTime, you know, I would cry, just because there were times when I was like, I wish I could be there,” Gambini said.

Orlando Health’s doctors, nurses, and staff helped arrange a visit for Lilliana to meet mom all over again. It motivated Gambini to work through physical therapy.

“I was like, I’m not strong enough to hold her. Which that was really hard,” Gambini said.

On Oct. 22, 85 days after she was checked in, Gambini was discharged from Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center with a special ceremony.

The family wants to encourage other families facing daunting circumstances to seek support and to consider vaccination if they haven’t already.

Gambini is home with her fiance now. They just celebrated their first Halloween with Lilliana.

“I was meant to have this baby. I went through leaps and bounds to have her. There was no — me leaving this world. I was coming back and I was going to hold her and do this,” Gambini said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.