BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo woman who just survived 23 days on a ventilator with COVID-19 left the hospital on Thursday in time to celebrate her birthday at home.
"COVID is real. Wear your mask, and get a vaccine," Ericka Morse said.
Ericka Morse is celebrating her 46th birthday. It is the first time she's had a breath of fresh air in weeks.
Morse doesn't know where she got sick and was not vaccinated.
"I just didn't want to do it. I was afraid of how quick it came along, and I didn't know. I didn't know. Well, I know now," Morse said.
While other family members also got COVID, it hit Morse the hardest.
"I kept saying I was waiting for a sign from God. Well, I got the ultimate sign from God," she says.
Morse went to Buffalo General Hospital, and she eventually got so sick, doctors put her on a ventilator for 23 days. While she wasn't awake, her family was able to talk to her thanks to the staff who let them call in and put them on speaker phone.
Now after a lot of prayer, they get to celebrate her leaving the hospital on her birthday.
"Is it a great birthday present? It's the best birthday present. To still be here in the land of the living. It's the best birthday present. Yes, it is," Morse said. "It's amazing to be out, but today I'm supposed to be 46, I feel 78, so COVID is real. Wear your mask and get a vaccine."
Recovery will take lots of therapy to help Morse learn how to walk again as she regains her strength.
"You can't be afraid. You just got to take a chance. Go ahead and take the chance. You're either going to be on that ventilator and not come off, or you can take the chance of taking the shot and surviving," Morse said.
For now, she plans on spending time with her family and plans on getting vaccinated as soon as her doctors say it is OK.
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