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Uniontown Hospital coronavirus patient who spent 11 days on a ventilator is finally home

04/25/2020
Hospital employees celebrate Lisa Fields as she is discharged after battling COVID-19 for 30 days. Photo by WTAE.

By Mike Clark

WTAE

Lisa Fields only remembers going through a rear entrance at Uniontown Hospital -- and then waking up in the intensive care unit.

Doctors diagnosed the Hopwood, Fayette County woman with COVID-19 and told her family that she was near death.

"They were preparing my family for me not to come out of the ICU. It was that bad," Fields told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

On Friday, after a long battle that included more than a week on a ventilator, Fields was getting ready to go home and see her family for the first time in 30 days.

The popular Hutchinson Elementary School custodian spent 11 days on a ventilator, separated from her husband, sons and grandchildren -- and thinking of them when she finally woke up.

"I cried," Fields said. "I cried that I had the support behind me."

"I love each and every one of them, and thank you. I couldn't have done it without their prayers. I really couldn't. That's why I'm here."

She also thanked her doctors and nurses.

"They came down to see how I'm doing and can't believe that I'm up walking," Fields said.

"Every one of these nurses are wonderful here. They've taken their time out, and doing things that I don't even know if they're even supposed to be doing, and they're doing it for me."

Finally, she had a message for her Laurel Highlands school community.

"I love them, each and every one of them that prayed for me, and thank God that I'm here. Thank you, Jesus."

On Saturday, dozens of Fields' coworkers and friends waited outside Uniontown Hospital for her to be discharged.

"I text her every single day," said Terri Landman, Fields' coworker. "Even when she was on a ventilator I text her every day that we love her, we're praying for her. That you've got this and with the good Lord, she's come through."

Fields' nurses and doctors lined the hallway as her husband, Ray, wheeled her to their car.

"Seeing her leave is actually a blessing," said Jarrod McMaster, Uniontown Hospital. "It's also a right of hope for us during this time. It's a very tough time. To see someone actually be that ill and come out of here with such excitement to actually leave and feeling good."

Fields said she had to hold back tears after seeing so much support.

"(It's) wonderful," she said. "Just so much love. I just don't know what to say.

"I'm just thanking God that I'm here because many prayers went up for me, and I know that's the reason I am here," she said.