LONG BEACH (CBSLA) St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach is calling it a miracle that a beloved ICU nurse, who has spent decades caring for patients, has survived COVID.<\/p>\n
The day before Christmas 66-year-old Merlin Pambuan walked out of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach to cheers of encouragement and clapping from the people who saved her life. . Her daughter Shantell was at her side.<\/p>\n
For 8 months, Pambuan, an ICU nurse at the hospital, had been in the fight of her life against Covid-19.<\/p>\n
Honestly I was very, very surprised that there were 100 people waiting for me, and cheering for me, said Pambuan. I said Oh my God, and I start crying.<\/p>\n
For 40 years, Pambuan cared for some of the sickest patients in the ICU, until she became a patient herself on April 12 and tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Before she walked out the door that night I said, Mom you better promise you got to come back home, and she looked at me and I was like, You better promise, and she said, Yeah, yeah OK, recounted Shantell.<\/p>\n
Pambuan spent the next three months in the ICU. As her condition worsened, she was intubated, had a feeding tube inserted and was put on a ventilator.<\/p>\n
Shantell was eventually allowed to be with her mom and never gave up hope.<\/p>\n
Mom has been that champion for me. I have cerebral palsy spastic diplegia I havent been able to walk since birth, Shantell said.<\/p>\n
Fellow nurse Pam Fair, who hired and worked closely with Pambaun for decades, said she was there when Pambaun was rushed to the ICU.<\/p>\n
When brought her out to take her to the ICU you almost couldnt recognize her she looked that bad. Its hard to explain to people that dont work in a hospital but they become your second family, Fair said.<\/p>\n
By October, Pambuan was transferred to a rehab center to learn to walk and talk again.<\/p>\n
Im going to fight this Covid. Ive been saying it too many times, Go away. Im going to fight you, Pambuan said.<\/p>\n
That same month, she celebrated her 66th birthday in the hospital, with her husband & daughter and finally got to go home.<\/p>\n
Shes a miracle, said Shantell. We are sitting here next to each other in our living room.<\/p>\n
Pambuan was given Remdesivir right when it was beginning to be used as a treatment for Covid-19.<\/p>\n
She is still on oxygen 24\/7 and is going through hours of intensive therapy sessions. She doesnt yet know if she will return to her nursing duties.<\/p>\n
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Shes A Miracle: Beloved Long Beach ICU Nurse Recounts Her Fight With COVID-19 - CBS Los Angeles<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LONG BEACH (CBSLA) St. Continue reading