My name is Carrie Hatton, and I am a COVID-19 survivor. I am a mother of two boys and a private music teacher. 

Back in 2021, I was fatally ill with COVID-19 and was hospitalized for three months. I was placed on the ventilator and the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine) to survive. I was life-flighted with three chest tubes inserted into my right lung, because the lung collapsed several times from COVID pneumonia and COVID ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). 

Doctors did not expect me to live. I was sedated on fentanyl, and my pastor prayed with me for what we thought was my last time. My desire to live was to see my children again. I prayed to God so I could have more time with them. 

I had my final visit with my boys but miraculously, I started to breathe on my own. 

Doctors shut off all the equipment to slowly wean me off. 

Before COVID, I worked with preschoolers in a classroom for 10 years. I taught private music lessons, and that included vocal lessons. I used my singing voice to model while I taught my lessons. 

After COVID, I can no longer sing. My vocal cords are not damaged, but my lungs cannot hold enough volume of air for me to sing properly. My right diaphragm is shoved up into my right lung, which reduces my lung volume. 

I survived because God kept me here for a greater purpose. My purpose is to find those COVID long haulers and be their support coach. I have a support page on Facebook. There, we can communicate and share ideas on strengthening our health needs. 

My strength and my faith in God have led me to share my story and how to overcome such a horrific experience as being clinically dead. I believe with my faith in God that I am a walking miracle.

During COVID, medical doctors and nurses worked overtime and took on as many as 15 to 20 patients per shift. The mental stress was exhausting for them, and they deserve so much credit for working through this tragedy. 

Who am I now? I was raised to be an independent individual, and excuses for anything were not acceptable. I learned goal setting at an early age and read books on success. In my younger years, I was surrounded by mentors who thought outside the box. Partly because of that, I started back to graduate school. I am studying to achieve my teaching certificate, as I never finished taking the state tests years ago. My challenge since I was sick is my cognition and memory.

I am currently enrolled in online classes at Eastern University, working toward a master’s degree in curriculum instruction. Due to my inability to pursue a career in music, as my lungs are not strong enough for singing, I now aim to co-teach English alongside special education. 

In the meantime, I am promoting my latest book, “Clinically Dead: A COVID-19 Walking Miracle.” I also teach music lessons out of my home and with Dave Figura, DNF Brass and Woodwind, in Honesdale, PA. 

 I am disabled for the rest of my life. If I do anything that requires exertion, I need oxygen to breathe. I sleep with oxygen and CPAP. But I can do most everything to live a normal life. I just had to learn to adjust and manage my care. I go to the gym as much as I can, because it does make me feel good. I bring my oxygen tanks with me so I can function on the treadmill at a faster pace. 

Having a positive attitude, fighting for your health needs, and having the will to never give up is so important.

“Clinically Dead: A COVID-19 Walking Miracle,” by Carrie Hatton, is available online.