Nursing student Elizabeth Ovalle survives Covid and graduates!

 

Calhoun Community College reported the following story.

"Close to the end of March, while most students were on spring break, Ovalle noticed she was having a difficult time breathing. When the symptoms persisted making it even more difficult to take in and release breaths, she went to the Athens-Limestone Hospital where she was immediately admitted. After a few tests were run, Ovalle received the news that she tested positive for COVID-19. Due to her breathing, she was placed on a ventilator." 

"After being on a ventilator for two weeks, she was informed that her breathing had improved enough that she could be taken off and breathe on her own. Once she was stable, she recalls a very sweet patient care aid who came to speak with her. Amid the conversation, the aid uttered words that tore Elizabeth’s heart to pieces, “Your mother has also tested positive for COVID-19, she is extremely sick, a few rooms down from you and is on a ventilator.”

"Struggling to gather her thoughts and emotions, Elizabeth felt helpless as there was nothing she could do for her mother since she too was in the hospital with COVID. She began thinking about nursing school and all of the required clinical hours, exams and coursework that must be completed to graduate successfully from the program and became discouraged." 

“The time I had alone, my mind wandered to the encouraging and motivating words my mom always said to me and that was to never give up, and if I could physically do something, then what was stopping me,” said Ovalle. She recalls that being her strength to fight. She contacted Calhoun’s nursing department to explain what was going on. She was greeted with warm comments, encouragement and messages to focus on getting better and to try again next semester. That is when she informed her instructors that she wasn’t calling to say she was sitting out, she was calling to find out how she could access her courses online and keep going. “When we heard the news about Elizabeth, we were all heartbroken as she is one of those students who is determined and doesn’t let anything get in her way,” commented Dr. Lynn Hogan, Calhoun Nursing Department Chair."

“When she requested her coursework and exams, we were floored as not only did she pass them, but she passed them with high scores despite everything she was going through physically and mentally,” added Hogan. With nothing but time on her hands in the hospital, she used that time to study." 

Read more about this nurse/survivor at:

https://calhoun.edu/two-time-covid-survivor-to-graduate-from-calhouns-nursing-program/

Cheers!

Donna