Having a child is a tremendously life-changing experience; having a child on the eve of a global pandemic adds a plethora of additional considerations. Fortunately, Laura O’Donnell’s determined spirit and the help of NewYork-Presbyterian ensured her son Finnian was brought into this world with care.
“My experience was not traditional, and the way the Hospital handled it was really impressive,” says Laura O’Donnell, recounting the early days of her second pregnancy. Already the devoted mother of one, Laura had been navigating this new journey with experience. “Heading into 2020, we had a two-year-old and were excited about our second son, Finn. Weill Cornell has an amazing labor/delivery program and I proactively sought out a care team and physician there.” But while Laura and her family had been preparing diligently for Finn’s arrival, they were unaware of the uncertainty that lay ahead.
On June 29, Laura arrived at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell to deliver—only to learn she had COVID as well. With the entire world confronting this illness and its impacts as they developed, NewYork-Presbyterian did its best to maintain the health and safety of all involved. “Those were still the early days of the pandemic, and everyone impressively sprang into action,” Laura recalls. Finnian was welcomed with ease, and the family was discharged on July 1 without any further complications. Two days later, they would return.
“Around 11:30pm on July 3rd, we found him unresponsive, still breathing but limp. We couldn’t wake him up,” Laura reveals. “My husband grabbed him and rushed to Brooklyn Methodist in Park Slope. Given the late hour, it was very quiet when they first arrived. However, as soon as the admit nurse took one look at Finn, she started yelling, ‘Infant Code Blue!’ Immediately, the stillness broke as doctors and nurses flooded in.” Finnian had acquired a systemic infection that was now threatening his life. The team at Brooklyn Methodist transferred him to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, with physicians commuting to and from Brooklyn with Finnian to observe his health. Further complicating matters, Laura was still testing positive for COVID and had to isolate herself despite this difficult situation.
The stress of the experience wore on her heavily. “There were very physical symptoms that I had to manage, including trying to get my blood pressure under control. I continue to be incredibly grateful that one of the very senior OB-GYNs got on the phone with me, took meaningful time to listen to my situation, and guided me through my own care.” Recovering from pregnancy and from COVID all at once, Laura had to endure the initial phases of healing in isolation. But she was not entirely alone: complementing the support she received from NYP and her loved ones was her faith. The strength of her beliefs helped keep her grounded, offering comfort in a world of uncertainty.
“On the drive to deliver Finn there was a huge rainbow over the FDR. I thought it was auspicious but couldn’t make sense of it at the time: We were naming him Finnian, and several people had pointed out that there’s a movie called Finian’s Rainbow—it was noteworthy to me, but that was it.” Laura continues, “It came together for me when I was finally able to return to Weill Cornell to see Finn six days after his hospitalization, having finally gotten Covid clearance. When I arrived, he was finally well enough to be transferred to the general pediatrics floor. As they were hooking up the monitors in his new room, I looked out over Roosevelt Island and saw a span-to-span rainbow. Having seen maybe five rainbows in the nearly 20 years I’ve lived in New York, that was the clear sign to me that Finn was going to be ok.’”
Reflecting on the whole experience, Laura noted if there is one learning for her about spending so much time in hospitals, it’s that “progress isn’t always linear.” After several weeks in and out of the PICU and many ups and downs, Finnian was discharged and has been thriving ever since. He is now a healthy Kindergartener, and over time, Laura felt an increased urge to give back—particularly through the TCS New York City Marathon.
"I love to run, and I wanted a marathon to be the culmination of my journey back to peak health: the physical recovery from childbirth and the mental recovery from this experience. With the passage of time, I felt like myself again and was in a much better place to reflect on everything. I thought, I have all this energy, what better way to give back than to run for NYP.” A former college volleyball player, Laura embraced this latest adventure with renewed vigor. “I realized at some point in the last decade that I’m a distance runner. This has been my way to push myself athletically.” Preparation also helped Laura refine her ability to balance differing aspects of her life, strengthening a sense of discipline and cultivating better endurance for the unpredictable marathon of life. “The opportunity to have “me” time on my long runs was a wonderful added benefit to the training. As a working mom of two kids, that time is hard to come by. Carving out and deliberately finding windows that are mine is essential for me to be my best self to all of my people.”
At the end of the rainbow, Laura found care, community, and self-reliance. “I wanted to do something that is impactful,” Laura says, “and I finally, five years in, can tell my story without it being so difficult to talk about. If I can help even one other family by raising money for the hospital, then mission accomplished."