New mom celebrates COVID recovery after delivering son while in ICU

A new mom in Massachusetts has returned home after beating COVID-19.

Adriana Rice-Leiva, rushed to the emergency room at Boston Medical Center while 7 1/2 months pregnant, had shortness of breath and was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

Despite an initial improvement in her symptoms, her condition worsened and Leiva was places on a ventilator on April 14 in the Intensive Care Unit.

Dr. Tracey Dechert, a trauma surgeon at Boston Medical Center who treated her for weeks, told ABC News on "World News Tonight" that Rice-Leiva "was young and she was pregnant and we all really were pulling for her."

Just five days after the mom-to-be was admitted, Rice-Leiva's doctors performed an emergency caesarean section and delivered her son, Lucas, who was healthy on April 19.

Because doctors had the new mom in a medically induced coma she was unaware that she had given birth until she slowly started to recover.

After two full weeks on the ventilator on April 30, Rice-Leiva was able to breathe on her own and her husband, Bryan, filmed the big moment as nurses and doctors looked on and waved.

Related Stories

Takeaways from AP report on how the search for the coronavirus origins turned toxic

• Apr 22, 2:51 AM

76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid says he's suffering from Bell's palsy

• 1 hour ago

New York City to require warning labels for sugary foods and drinks in chain restaurants

• Apr 25, 1:57 PM

She walked to the front door with her nurse, Marlene Putnam, as music played and hospital staff applauded and cheered.

Rice-Leiva took a bow and prepared to leave the ICU as she said goodbye to the team that helped save her life.

She held her newborn son Lucas for the first time on May 5 and went home.

Rice-Leiva "left the hospital and she's doing great, [which] helps us to keep going, doing what we do -- seeing patients like her get better," Dechert said.

Now, healthy and virus free, the new mother is home, able to hold Lucas and spend time with Bryan and other son, Matteo.

"We just want to say thank you to all the doctors and nurses over at Boston Medical for helping us get through this," Rice-Leiva told ABC News. "We are so thankful and we feel blessed to be able to share this story with you guys from home. So thank so much. Please stay safe."