STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Physicians, nurses and staffers at Richmond University Medical Center gave a thunderous sendoff filled with a rousing round of applause, screams and cheers to Edwina Cain, a Staten Island resident who was treated and released Friday after testing positive for COVID-19 eight days ago.
“We have had 143 COVID-19 patients treated and discharged, 73 discharged this week alone,” RUMC president and chief executive officer Daniel J. Messina, said. “These numbers thankfully continue to increase and we are hopeful that the curve we have all heard so much about may be starting to flatten. Edwina’s release is a testament to her will to survive and the tremendous care she received from her team of doctors, nurses and staff here at RUMC.”
Cain, 38, recently moved to Staten Island. She was transported to Richmond University Medical Center by EMS on April 3, tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately placed on a ventilator.
Slowly over the next few days, Cain began to fight off the virus, was removed from her ventilator on April 7 and began breathing on her own.
On Friday, eight days later, Cain was discharged to the care of her uncle, who greeted her with tears.
Cain thanked the RUMC staff, especially the team that directly cared for her, led by Dr. Francisco Rotatori.
As she left the hospital, fists raised in triumph, she repeatedly said, “I’m going home,” and “you can do it…you can beat this,” a message she said for other COVID-19 patients.
And then, she gave a final dance before driving away to be cared for by family in the Bronx.