‘Best Mother’s Day ever’: Mom meets daughter after coming out of coma from COVID-19

Eyewitness News / ABC 7 NY

HACKENSACK, New Jersey (WABC) — A woman in New Jersey met her baby for the very first time Thursday after going into a coma while battling COVID-19.

Donna Molina first met her baby girl more than a month after she was born.

Harley was born April 2 and Thursday was their first meeting face to face because Molina had to battle and overcome coronavirus first.

Four days before she gave birth, Molina spiked a 103-degree fever and was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center.

“I was in an induced coma for 11 days, I was intubated and on a ventilator,” Molina said.

Harley wasn’t due until June 10, but the virus demanded otherwise and she had to come immediately.

Molina had an emergency C-section and that is the last thing she remembers.

After Molina recovered, she had to wait until she tested negative for the virus twice before she could meet her baby girl.

“It’s just so amazing how someone so small can pull through and survive,” she said.

Harley is now thriving. She was 3 pounds at birth, but she is now 5 pounds, 3.8 ounces.

Molina is forever grateful to the doctors and nurses who pulled off two miracles as far as her family is concerned.

Harley will be allowed to go home in about two weeks.

“The hospital was amazing, they worked on me, they didn’t give up, they took care of me in the ICU, they saved her life which was most important to me, and here we are together, two survivors,” Molina said.”The best Mother’s Day ever.”