A Texas mother is fighting for her life after she was intubated just days after giving birth to her first child despite being vaccinated.
Alexandra Chandler tested positive for COVID-19 before going into labor on January 9, according to a GoFundMe page. Three days after a successful c-section, Chandler and her son Beau returned home.
The next day Chandler and her son Beau began experiencing shortness of breath. Both Chandler and her newborn son went to the ER to undergo evaluation, but Chandler's health began to rapidly decline.
Both Chandler and her newborn tested positive for COVID, although Beau is recovering well at home. Chandler, on the other hand, was also diagnosed with pneumonia and was intubated a few days later.
After being intubated, Chandler experienced a double pneumothorax in which both her lungs collapsed. She now remains in the hospital fighting for her life and unable to see her newborn son.
While it is not uncommon for people suffering from COVID-19 to develop pneumonia, it is rare for a patient to suffer from spontaneous pneumothorax. A pneumothorax occurs when air enters the space between the lungs and chest wall. Treatment can include removing the excess air with a tube or needle.
"I just want more time with her because I've never spent this amount of time without her being at home," her husband James Chandler told KWTX. "You just have to have complete and utter faith and don't look at all the negative cause there's plenty of it. God has a plan. It may not be what we want it to be right now, but He has a plan for all of us."
Friends and family have since started a GoFundMe to help the family with medical expenses and bills. The fundraiser has since gone viral online and has raised more than the anticipated $10,000 goal in just five days.
According to the fundraiser, Chandler and her husband faced years of fertility struggles before she became pregnant with Beau. The fundraiser explained Chandler was "hyper-vigilant" throughout her pregnancy to not contract the virus and was "fully vaccinated." It is unclear if Chandler received a booster shot.
"After years of fertility struggles and finally giving birth, COVID-19 has robbed Alex of the joy of being a first time Mom," the GoFundMe read.
Although her prognosis is disappointing, Chandler's close friends and family said they are still hoping for a miracle.
"There's not another person like my wife," James told KWTX. "I just want to tell her that I love her. I've always loved her, and I'll see her when she gets home."
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