Cindy Vittetoe got the flu about five weeks ago and before she knew it she was on life support.
Author: Gabrielle Hays
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — About five weeks ago Cindy Vittetoe was one of 2.6 million people the CDC notes got the flu this season. However, hers would take a turn for the worst.
“I don’t even remember the first four days I woke up four days later in Vanderbilt,” she said.
But her family remembers it very clearly.
“Within three days it turned into pneumonia and by that following morning she went into the ER and she was on life support within 12 hours,” Cindy’s future daughter in law Megan Simerly said.
In just days she went from doctors at Blount Memorial Hospital to doctors at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
“They were telling us it could be up to three months of her on life support they weren’t sure if it could get to a point where it was the only thing keeping her alive,” Vittetoe said.
But then something amazing happened.
“It was a miracle,” Simerly said.
Cindy started to get better.
“I ended up only staying on life support for five days when they thought I would be there for one to five months,” Vittetoe said.
After a few more days in the hospital she went home.
“My kids didn’t think I would be here until January if I lived through it,” she said.
Today she’s back on her feet, and while she’s not working yet, she’s surrounded by loved ones.
“We’re lucky that she’s here with us today, so it’s more of a celebration of her recovery and that she’s better,” Simerly said.
Only weeks after surviving one of life’s scariest moments, her family said they just want people to pay attention to their health.
“It was very unexpected you know she’s healthy, she has her flu shot and she’s a nurse,” Simerly said.
As for Cindy, she’s grateful to simply have a family.
“I had so much support from this community and everybody,” she said. “It gave me a lot of hope.”
