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Wisconsin woman finally meets baby she gave birth to in COVID-19 coma

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MADISON — After nearly three months after being diagnosed with COVID-19, Kelsey Townsend was discharged from University Hospital and finally held her newborn baby. Baby Lucy was born while Kelsey was in a coma, UW Health says.

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UW Health said Kelsey was nine months pregnant with Lucy in October when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Kelsey was in a medically induced coma and gave birth to Lucy on Nov. 4.

Kelsey spent several months on an ECMO machine and a ventilator. Doctors believed Kelsey would need a double lung transplant to survive after her condition worsened.

UW Health said Kelsey's condition improved just days after being added to the lung transplant waiting list. Officials say Kelsey was moved out of the ICU, taken off the ventilator in mid-January, and removed from the transplant waiting list.

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Kelsey was finally discharged from University Hospital on Jan. 27 and was reunited with her family, including Lucy, who she had never met.

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