Coronavirus survivor leaves Clovis hospital after 25 days on ventilator

Karen Parker-Bryant sat in the sunlight for the first time in weeks and raised a hand skyward after she was released from Clovis Community Medical Center on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old spent a month and a half battling the coronavirus including 25 days on a ventilator.

According to her son, Christian David, Parker-Bryant became a candidate for the trial drug Remdesivir which the family says was helpful in her recovery.

“It’s the little things we take for granted that aren’t to be overlooked,” she said as she was wheeled out of the hospital. “Be thankful for everything you get, even if it’s just to inhale and exhale, that’s a blessing to be thankful for.”

Dozens of cheering Clovis medical staff gave her a sendoff out the doors where she was greeted by family and friends who drove their cars in a parade in circles around the hospital’s entry driveway, honking horns and waving signs of support.

While in the hospital, Parker-Bryant missed out on her birthday and Mother’s Day celebrations at home. No matter, she said.

“I’m thankful for everything and everybody, because it could have gone another way, but it didn’t.”