After airlift, coma, and months in ICU, COVID-19 survivor is about to leave UW Medicine

SEATTLE — As the race continues to get people vaccinated, it’s important to remember many are still suffering from the virus.

An Alaska woman airlifted to UW Medical Center has been in the hospital in Seattle for 50 days now.

She was supposed to be discharged Thursday afternoon but was feeling so unwell that doctors wanted her to stay for at least another day — another testament to how tough recovery can be.

UW Medicine shared a video of COVID-19 survivor, Nastasia Xavier, a 33-year-old Alaska Native who got so sick with COVID-19 that she was airlifted to Seattle while in a medically induced coma.

Xavier remembers only the earlier parts of her illness.

“It was really painful. Every time I lay down, I cough. I’d lay on the other side, cough more,” she said.

She wasn’t feeling well enough Thursday to share an update on her journey — she only recently got her tracheostomy tube out — but the hospital helped capture some of her journey.

“I’m excited. Can’t wait to go home to my two girls. They’re 13 and 5,” she said, grinning so big you could see the smile through her mask.

But one person she won’t be able to reunite with is her brother. He got sick with the coronavirus around Thanksgiving.

“This COVID — it’s no joke. It killed my brother, and he was 37 years old,” Xavier said through tears. “He got the COVID first, and the next day I got it. He was a caring brother. Helpful brother too. He will be missed,” she said.

Dr. Kevin Patel directs UW Medical Center’s medical intensive care unit.

“Kidney failure, she developed progressive respiratory failure, requiring consideration of more than a ventilator to help her survive. And she also developed heart failure. So COVID pneumonia affecting multiple organs,” Patel said.

“She would be considered a great survivorship story, where somebody having many life-threatening complications pulls through. We’re excited to see that,” Patel said.

Patel said even with an end to the pandemic in sight, people are still hospitalized at UWMC every day. Stays as long as Xavier’s are rare, but she’s far from alone.

“The hospitalizations have started to come down, certainly in our area and nationally too. But the numbers still remain concerning, and we have a ways to go,” Patel said.

Xavier’s days now are filled with relearning simple tasks in physical therapy sessions. In a video, an occupational therapist is showing Xavier how to use surrounding items for leverage.

“Let’s say your daughter dropped something, and you want to pick it up,” the nurse says. When Xavier gets down on one knee, the nurse has to help her stand up again.

“I know it’s tough,” the occupational therapist says. “Good to know it’s hard to do right now, right? Because you’re still recovering, you’ll have to do it a little differently and make sure you still have energy to get back up,” she says.

Xavier also spends time video chatting with her family.

“They’re smiling and saying, ‘Yay! You can talk now!’” Xavier said. “They’re like, ‘Hi mom! Hi mom!’ and I said, ‘I love you, my babies!’”

There are still good days and bad days. But now as early as Friday — Xavier will be able to go home.

“To family, friends, to see my kids,” she said while getting emotional.

Patel said getting discharged from the hospital will just be the first step of Xavier’s recovery.

“She will be able to start building a road toward independence and getting back her life, her kids,” Patel said.

Cox Media Group