NORWICH, Conn. — A Norwich Mother says COVID-19 saved her son's life.
"I said just save him. Save my second baby's life," said Nicole Wilson.
That was Wilson's plea to doctors as they rushed her son Michael, 17, into emergency surgery. Michael had a massive aneurysm in his heart.
"They had to go get me a chair because I was ready to collapse," said Wilson.
In early October, Michael tested positive for COVID-19. Additional pains in his chest and a family history of blood clotting led doctors to run extra tests. A CT Scan found an 8-centimeter aneurysm on the verge of bursting.
"He said I’m really glad we found this because he could’ve been dead in 24 to 48 hours," said Wilson.
Michael had successful open-heart surgery and recovered while beating COVID-19. The close call compelled Wilson to test her other four children for clotting. Doctors found small aneurysms in her eldest son and another health condition in her daughter. If it wasn’t for Michael's positive COVID test, doctors may never have known their conditions.
"It traumatized me," said Michael Wilson. "It just it was just too much."
Michael has been diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Disorders that restrict blood flow and heart function. Wilson and doctors agree a service dog would improve his quality of life.
"If he starts to get dizzy and the dog notices it the dog will alert someone," said Nicole.
Affording a service dog for a single income family of seven is no small task. That's why they started a GoFundMe to help cover the hefty expense. For Michael, a service dog would mean more to him than anything in the world.
"If I had a service dog, I would actually talk to the dog more than I talk to the therapist or any person on earth," said Michael.