New born cuddles for mom delayed by COVID
Natalia Worek spent her whole pregnancy imagining the birth of her first child, how she would feel going into labour, how she would be coached through the delivery, what it would be like to feel that first skin to skin contact. But the birth of her son Praise was nothing like she imagined. Instead, Natalia was rushed by ambulance to St. Joseph`s Healthcare, severely unwell with COVID-19 and 34 weeks pregnant. Within hours of her arrival she underwent an emergency caesarean section before being rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. Her newborn son was admitted to the Special Care Unit, and the two remained separated for the next seven days.
Heartbroken staff at St. Joe`s imagined the anguish Natalia was feeling, being kept from her first born while trying to recover from a virus that has caused such hardship to so many. They did their best to help the new mom stay connected to her baby with phone calls and iPad visits, until finally, a week later mother and son were reunited.