COVID-19 survivor says seeing family on FOX 2 viewer's donated iPad gave her the strength to beat it

FOX 2 - This is Darlene, a lady who probably shouldn't even be alive to do this interview. But with her faith, family, her physicians and FOX 2 donated iPads, she is here and so are her beautiful loving family members.

"I know that God saved me for a reason. Even if it's just to tell FOX 2 my story," she said. "I'm here for a reason to continue to do what He wants me to do."

In late March, Darlene's son found her clinging to life, suffering from coronavirus. She was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac.
 
"While being treated for COVID-19, I suffered a stroke," she said.

Darlene's family couldn't visit her. No one could, because COVID-19 patients were contagious.  So she suffered alone and scared.
  
Darlene was on a ventilator, and was having seizures but still no visitors were allowed. And then a nurse handed her an iPad and loving faces came on the screen.

"My family had not seen me for a while, so the face to face was presented to them," she said. "We were excited to do face to face even though I couldn't talk."

Suddenly, Darlene wasn't alone.

"It was very encouraging, listening to how much they love me, how much they missed me and how much they were praying for me," she said.

And we are happy to say that Darlene spoke to us on an iPad donated by FOX 2 viewers.

"Just having those iPads there and being able to connect with my sister, we are so grateful," said Rosalind, Darlene's sister. "We are eternally grateful."

In April, we told you how local hospitals were in need of iPads. Several UPS stores around metro Detroit volunteered their businesses as drop off points - and you, our viewers, donated day after day.

Rob Wolchek even went to some people's homes and picked up iPads. Rob delivered more than 100 to the Detroit Medical Center in May. I delivered others to St Joe's in Pontiac.

And here's what a difference your donations made.

Even though Darlene was too sick to even speak, hearing her family's voices and seeing their faces gave her and them strength.

Mycal is Darlene's son.

"It's been really rough," he said. "But the video iPads have been really helpful. It really has made a difference, to be able to see her, being able to talk to her."

Slowly Darlene got better and did more face to face talks with her family via iPad.

"It would help and encourage me to fight, to get back to where I need to be," Darlene said. "Which is with my family, with my church, with the community.  I wanted to be here, so I fought."

And when she says she wanted to be here, she means alive in the world. Darlene has a lot more living to do and she's going to be released from the hospital this week.

Wolchek: "I'm so happy for you Darlene that you're doing so well and that you're healthy, and that these iPads are actually going to help people so it's really nice."

"My name is Darlene and I'm a Covid survivor," she said. "And I just had to have that said. People need to know; you can survive whatever the world is throwing at you."