CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — August 12 will always be special to Valerie Gaither-Smith. Not only is it her birthday but it's the day she was released from the hospital.
It was a day that Gaither-Smith often felt like would never come.
"My daughter came to visit me in the hospital and I said, 'I'm about to give up hope, I'm never going home,'" Gaither-Smith said.
Back in June, Gaither-Smith's daughter, 33-year-old Dominique Smith-White, first got sick with COVID-19 and had to spend several days in the hospital.
Soon after, Gaither-Smith was admitted. The grandmother spent 35 days in the hospital at Tennova Healthcare, half of the time on a ventilator.
Doctors had to put her in a medically induced coma as the virus attacked her organs.
"When COVID attacked, it started with pneumonia, dehydration, respiratory failure, heart failure, sepsis and then about two days into life support that's when kidneys failed," Gaither-Smith said.
Gaither-Smith held onto her faith to pull her through. As a strong believer, Gaither-Smith said she asked God if she could go home to her family for her birthday and on her 58th birthday she was released.
Gaither-Smith did not have any existing health issues before COVID-19. She still has to go to the doctor for some follow-ups and tests, but overall she says she's feeling good.
