$600K raised for hospital nurse who delivered baby girl prematurely while battling COVID-19

The wife and mother of two young children tested positive for the virus and suffered cardiac arrest at Mt. Sinai hospital on April 12.

NEW YORK — More than 10,000 people pitched in to help a nurse who is fighting for her life after she delivered a baby prematurely following a string of medical complications from COVID-19.

Jessica Jacobs organized a GoFundMe for Sylvia Leroy, a nurse at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. 

The wife and mother of two young children tested positive for the virus and suffered cardiac arrest at Mt. Sinai Hospital on April 12, she revealed in the post.

"After successfully coming off a ventilator 7 days prior. Her premature daughter was delivered at 30 weeks and is in the NICU. The arrest lasted 4 minutes and has left her with anoxic brain injury due to lack of oxygen and presently she's awake but minimally conscious, not able to respond to sounds, touch or commands," Jacobs added.

Shirley Licin, Sylvia's sister, told CNN that she was six months pregnant back in March when she started feeling symptoms. The baby girl, Ester, was born at 30 weeks.

While Sylvia remains in recovery, both Jacobs and Licin have shared that her union insurance only covers "30 days of acute rehab."

"Sylvia will need significant long-term acute cognitive and physical therapy to help give her a fighting chance for her baby Esther and her 3-year-old toddler Jay," Jacobs wrote. "Sylvia's family has been fighting early on to get her the best care possible, from transferring her to Mt. Sinai hospital and getting her into an acute rehabilitation center. Please help Sylvia get the care she needs to be there for her family."

So far, more than $600,000 has been raised for Sylvia's medical expenses.

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