ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A special celebration took place on Thursday at Orange Park Medical Center for an 88-year-old woman who has recovered from COVID-19.
Following 23 days of being hospitalized and undergoing treatment for COVID-19, Nancy Garrett was able to go outside and see her children, church family, doctor and nurses cheering her on as she was discharged.
Garrett has lived in Clay County for 60 years. She is a retired nurse who has been an emergency room volunteer for 25 years.
An 88-year-old woman has recovered and is being discharged after 23 days fighting #COVID19 at @opmedcenter! Nancy Garrett had a celebration & goodbye send off — THIS IS THE NEWS WE ALL NEEDED!!! I’m so happy for you Nancy and your family!! @wjxt4 video cred: Orange Park! pic.twitter.com/OKttStNTer
— Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) April 16, 2020
Three weeks ago, Garrett said, she felt very confused, so her daughter took her to the hospital. Garrett said she never thought about how serious the coronavirus was until she contracted COVID-19.
Garrett said doctors originally thought she had bilateral pneumonia. But after she tested positive for COVID-19, she said, she found something to make her feel a little bit better every day.
“All I thought about was ‘I’m going to get better so I can look at the sunshine outside,’” Garrett said. “I know that I have a family to live for. I have four kids,10 grandkinds and 2 great-grandchildren. I knew I was going to get better. I never had a negative thought.”
She told News4Jax she’s thankful for her pulmonologist, nurses and the prayers.
Garrett said she will be going to Brooks Rehabilitation Center to continue her journey. She said she is very independent and was volunteering at the hospital, driving and going to meetings before contracting the virus, so she’s now on her way back to normal life.