KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gwen Starkey was an incredibly active and independent woman who had just retired from the Ford plant in Claycomo. But since contracting COVID-19 in February, she has spent more than 140 days on a ventilator.
Her journey to recovery has been a nightmare for the 59 year old's family.
"This is real, this happened to us, and we didn't think that it would, but it did," April Shaver, Starkey's daughter, said.
Shaver said her mother tried to recover at home for a few days, but became so sick she needed to go to the hospital.
"She called me one day and said, 'I’m dying. I have to go to the hospital. I’m dying,'" Shaver said.
Starkey was admitted to Liberty Hospital in February, put on oxygen, then a BiPAP machine and, finally, a ventilator. She was isolated for 21 days.
Shaver's twin sister, Valerie Mills, works as a certified-nursing assistant at Liberty Hospital and would visit her mother before her shifts and on breaks.
"It was incredibly hard to see my mom go through something like that and not be able to help her," Mills said.
Her family said Starkey contracted COVID-19 before being eligible for a vaccine. They've been watching helplessly for months as she relies on machines to keep her alive.
"It's hard, it's the hardest thing we've all ever had to deal with," Shaver said.
Shaver said her mother was taken off the ventilator in March and FaceTimed with her family.
"She said, 'We’re going to celebrate March 1 as my new birthday. We’re going to church. We’re going to buy a new truck. We’re going to celebrate. We’re going to live our lives differently because I get a second chance at life,'" Shaver said.
The family thought the worst was over at that time, according to Shaver, but Starkey's health went downhill again shortly after and she was put back on a ventilator.
"We know that deep down she's terrified, and we know she's thinking, 'Am I going to make it through this? Am I going to see my family?'" Mills said. "You know, what did we do to deserve this and why us."
As Starkey surpasses 140 days on a ventilator, her family said she's slowly getting better.
"Last weekend she did a breathing trial where she breathed on her own for the first time since March 5," Shaver said. "They are starting to wean her off the vent, she is doing really well."
They shared her story in the hopes it will remind others to stay vigilant and stay thankful.
"Take every moment you have with your loved ones, your family, your friends and just embrace it," Shaver said. "You know tomorrow could be your last day."
