CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For 20 years Kathy Alford has worked as a nurse, but when she contracted the coronavirus back in July she had no idea for the next several months she would be facing a serious health struggle of her own.
Alford is a recipient of a kidney transplant from 2018. Doctors say the result of the procedure is a compromised immune system that puts her at a higher risk of getting the coronavirus. Nonetheless, family and friends say Alford’s condition didn’t stop her from doing her dream job.
“She loves what we do,” best friend Rhonda Barnes said. “She truly has a heart for delivering babies.”
It’s unclear where exactly Alford caught the coronavirus, but weeks after being diagnosed she started to have serious complications. Doctors gave her Covid-19 trial drugs, plasma exchange and she also had to be intubated for weeks.
“She’s gone through a lot of stuff, but she’s a fighter. She’s one strong little lady,” Barnes said.
Now Alford is continuing weeks of rehab to get her strength back. Friends and family say they are all encouraged by her recovery as they track her progress via frequent FaceTime calls.
“She recognized everybody and she would give us a little smile and that was oh gosh, I’m getting ready to start crying,” Barnes said.
The hope is that Alford’s story may be a reminder to others to continue to take the coronavirus seriously.