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COVID-19: One Family’s Journey  

Enjoy reading this dynamic story about the author, Stephen Andrew Hebert, his life, his careers as a pastor and registered nurse, his walk with God, and he and his family’s journey as he went from being a frontline caregiver, to becoming a critical care patient who was fighting for his life.  

First, hear about the significant stories and pivotal moments that motivated Stephen towards a deeper relationship with the Lord and a career in health care, which was later followed by a call to pastoral ministry. Then, take the walk with him as he leads the reader along through his initial forty day battle with the COVID-19 virus, and his invigorating vision he experienced while his life and his lungs were being supported by the ventilator. All of this led to a three month recovery period, which was full of hill tops and valley bottoms, but consistently driven by the hand of God while being shielded by His unfailing grace.

Read the inserts by his family and friends as they share their reflections, and they discuss their experiences and their pain while being fully invested and completely engaged in Stephen’s well-being and recovery. Finally, Stephen acknowledges the intersections he and his family encountered while dealing with the COVID-19 virus and its long-hauling aftermath; and he discusses the implications and the impact that each had on them at this juncture in their journey of life.

*To purchase the book, COVID-19 One Family's Journey, click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Covid-19-Familys-Journey-Stephen-Hebert/dp/1639036121

COVID-19 One Family's Journey

About the Author

Stephen Andrew Hebert has been a frontline worker serving in the medical field for over thirty years. He later became an ordained minister in 2006, adding a second vocation to his career as a registered nurse. Having been bi-vocational for over fifteen years, he has embraced every challenge and accepted it as an opportunity. This was no exception when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States in the year 2020. Enjoy reading this dynamic story about his life, his careers, his walk with God, and his family’s journey as Stephen went from being the caregiver to being the patient, and fighting for his life.

*To purchase the book, COVID-19 One Family's Journey, click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Covid-19-Familys-Journey-Stephen-Hebert/dp/1639036121

My heart goes out to any patient or family member that has had to make one of the most difficult decisions while fighting the COVID-19 virus and this is having to decide whether or not to ventilate a loved one who is severely infected and critically ill from the virus. I can offer three unique perspectives on this for anyone who is willing to listen.

First off, I am a Registered Nurse who has worked COVID-19 Units throughout the pandemic. Secondly, I am also a Pastoral Care Minister who specializes in grief support and counseling for our parishioners and families in our surrounding community who are grieving the loss of loved ones. And finally, I am also a COVID-19 Survivor who had to make this same difficult decision in a life or death situation, and as you can see, due to God’s amazing grace I am still here and able to type this response.

Throughout the year 2020 and the first half of 2021, I spent most of my time working COVID Units and various Rehabilitation Units where recovering COVID-19 patients would go for reconditioning. I did fairly well until September of 2020 when I got infected. I spent a month in the hospital and three weeks in ICU. I was near death four or five times, and at one point I had to choose whether to go on a ventilator or be kept comfortable while I passed. Based on my particular circumstances, I chose to continue to fight the good fight and attempt to recover by being ventilated. I was on the vent (intubated) for eight days, and this decision played a big part in saving my life. Otherwise, I would not have been able to share this blog with you today. A word to the wise, please do not assume or make others have assumptions that ventilators are bad. They have saved lives in this awful mess of a pandemic, and I am one of them. For those of you who lost loved one(s) to COVID-19 even after going on a ventilator, my heart truly breaks for you. Please understand though, without the ventilator they would have only died sooner. Do Not regret your decision! Do Not beat yourself up for choosing the ventilator. I have met multiple families that are having trouble with having made this decision. In most cases, the ventilator is usually the last resort, and it gives the patient a fighting chance to potentially beat the virus!

The Bible makes it clear that God ordains all of the days of our lives (Psalm 139), and He and only He makes decisions of that magnitude. Please find peace in that although your loved one's passing may have caught you off guard; it was no surprise to our Creator and Lord. Please know, you and your family will remain in my prayers now and in the days to come.

Sincerely,

Pastor Stephen Hebert

*To purchase the book, COVID-19 One Family's Journey, click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Covid-19-Familys-Journey-Stephen-Hebert/dp/1639036121