Hardin County woman nearly dies from COVID while pregnant

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Hindsight can typically be 20/20, especially if you’ve been through a traumatic situation.

A Hardin County woman was pregnant when she got COVID and almost died. She’s sharing her story to help educate others about how dangerous COVID can be.

Michaela Dailey, 33, was so excited to be pregnant. In August, she found out she had COVID, and was terrified at 33 weeks when her baby had to be delivered via emergency cesarean section because her oxygen levels were so low.

Dailey got real sick and her only chance at survival was to be transferred from Hardin County to UofL Health so she could be placed on ECMO, which is a machine that temporarily fills in for the heart and lungs.

She didn’t get the COVID vaccine when she was pregnant. Her doctors did encourage her to get it, but she chose not to.

“I’m a strong supporter of it’s your decision, it’s your body, but I was healthy,” Dailey said. “I was 33 years old. Would I have ever thought getting COVID would put me in the hospital almost taking a lung from me? No. If I could go back and get the vaccine I would have.”

Without the ECMO machine, Dailey would have died. She also went through extensive rehab at Frazier.

She and her baby are doing much better now. Dailey’s mother died from COVID and never got to meet her granddaughter.

Dailey is now fully vaccinated and is urging everyone who hasn’t, even if you are pregnant, to get the COVID vaccine.

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