FRESNO, California (KSEE) — It has been a long struggle for 25-year-old Gabby Manoz after contracting COVID-19 late in her pregnancy.

Gabby said she had a slight cough and didn’t feel well so decided to not go into work that day.

“But I just stayed home from work and the next few days my mom took me to Madera Community,” said Gabby.

Gabby was later rushed to Fresno’s CRMC in September due to a high-risk delivery. That’s when her battle became a life-or-death struggle.

Eyad Almasri with UCSF Fresno said at times they did not know if Gabby was going to make it. 

“We watched her through the journey from being totally out of it to being totally sick,” said Almasri. “Frankly many many times we thought she would not make it.”

Almasri said Gabby was intubated when she delivered her baby in October. 

Mathew Manoz, Gabby’s father, said due to Gabby being intubated and on ECMO, a type of life support, they were asked who to save.

“It was at a point of them asking which one do you want to save? And I am like I don’t want to save neither I want both of them to come home and it was at that point almost,” said Manoz.

Manoz said only Gabby’s mother, Tracy Ornelas, could see her. Manoz said they felt trapped on an emotional roller coaster that seemed never ending. 

“We were mad because we wanted to be there you know but being there and looking at the signs saying you weren’t allowed to be there unless it was end of life patient,” said Ornelas. “That is what makes it more touching is that we went from there to here.”

Gabby was on ECMO for three weeks and after what some doctors are calling a miracle Gabby started to get better.

“They discovered that she is actually recovering slowly without transplant,” said Almasri. “We were all excited.”

Both Gabby and her daughter Madelynn Rose were released Tuesday. They plan on taking it easy for the next few weeks.