“I feel stupid:” Florida mom regrets not getting COVID-19 vaccine sooner

Mother of eight in Florida shares her story about her battle with COVID-19.

She says she almost died and regrets not having been vaccinated.

“It was horrible,” Ganeene Starling said. “I never in my life felt like I was going to die until this day.”

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The mother-of-eight of Lake Butler, Florida, explains how she nearly died from COVID-19.

Starling had chosen not to be vaccinated. Her husband has not been vaccinated either, nor their children.

She said she let people influence her not to get the vaccine.

“Just that he hasn’t been around for a long time.” Honestly, I think I listened. I think I let people influence me, like saying, ‘Oh, you know, it’s the government that’s just trying to fill our bodies with stuff and they’re trying to shoot us,’ ”Starling said.

Earlier this month, Starling’s husband contracted COVID, and then it spread to Starling and their four children living at home, including their youngest who is just 6 years old.

Soon Starling was having trouble breathing, so they rushed her to the hospital.

“I remember being very desperate, grabbing the mask and just feeling the oxygen come in,” Starling said.

She spent nine days in the hospital, six of which were in intensive care.

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“In those times when you can’t breathe like that, even with all the oxygen they were giving me, I feel like I have a Ziploc bag over my head – like someone is holding you and j ‘had oxygen and I still felt it way, ”Starling said.

Starling and her husband suspected they already had it and “didn’t even know it.”

“There had been times when I had been sick and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s COVID. No big deal, ”Starling said.

Not serious ? Not exactly. Starling’s oxygen had fallen to dangerously low levels. Only 68%, she says. Starling learned that she has about a 20% chance of survival.

“My youngest baby is 6 years old and so when you are told and you have a 6 year old, you know if I die he probably won’t remember me,” Starling said.

Starling is speaking out now because she wants people to know how much she regrets not getting the vaccine, a decision that almost cost her her life.

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“I was one of those people who was like, ‘I can’t believe people are just going to inject this medicine. We don’t know enough about it. Now I’m just like it’s just a hit. Just get the stupid shot. This vaccine could have stopped it all. Just a little tap. I feel stupid for not understanding. Wish God I would have gotten it because it’s not just about what it could have kept me from physically living in my life right now, but it could have saved my family so much heartache. . My children to see me go through this. My husband. My brothers and sisters to see it.

Starling is now planning to get the vaccine with her whole family.

She still has difficulty breathing, wears an oxygen tube, and struggles with even simple tasks.

“So much regret,” Starling said.