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Mom Battling Coronavirus Finally Home After Five Months In Hospital; Canada's "Atlantic Bubble" Bursts As Cases Spike; Millions Of Americans Face Food Insecurity This Holiday Season. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired November 26, 2020 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Oh my gosh, your story is just so remarkable. So, you were so young, Crystal. I mean, you're 36 years old -- or you were when you were admitted. And what was that -- what was that experience like of knowing that you were pregnant, you were going to have to have an emergency delivery? And did you know how sick you were then?

CRYSTAL GUTIERREZ, HOSPITALIZED FOR FIVE MONTHS WITH CORONAVIRUS: The whole experience was really surreal. It happened very quickly to me. I originally thought I had sinuses, allergies. I was taking Sudafed beforehand.

But my breathing was continuing to get worse so I called the doctor and the doctor said go in and get evaluated now, you're showing symptoms of COVID. And from there, everything just went downhill completely.

CAMEROTA: I mean, it --

C. GUTIERREZ: I am, however, of course, thankful that he decided to do the cesarean when he did because after that, my condition deteriorated rapidly.

CAMEROTA: So, Rafael, you have a pregnant wife. You have little kids -- three other little kids at home. And so, suddenly, she has to give birth with the emergency C-section, and then how soon after that did she have to be intubated?

RAFAEL GUTIERREZ, WIFE BATTLED CORONAVIRUS FOR FIVE MONTHS: It was -- it was crazy because, you know, she -- I couldn't be there by her side because I had tested positive for COVID. I had to be quarantined in my room while my 7-year-old was basically cooking and cleaning after my then, at the time, was five and 3-year-old. He would make them breakfast, lunch, and dinner --

CAMEROTA: Oh my God.

R. GUTIERREZ: -- and I would have to stay stuck in a room.

CAMEROTA: God bless him. I mean, you guys are good parents that your 7-year-old knows how to step up and take care of the rest of the family.

And so, Crystal, how long -- how long were you on a ventilator?

R. GUTIERREZ: How long, two months?

C. GUTIERREZ: What?

R. GUTIERREZ: You were on a ventilator about two months?

C. GUTIERREZ: I believe -- excuse me -- I believe I was ventilated for yes, about two months.

CAMEROTA: Rafael --

C. GUTIERREZ: Well, actually, the vent -- the vent was closer to three. I think I got off probably mid-September.

CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh. Rafael, what was that time like?

R. GUTIERREZ: Every day was a -- was I would get calls and she needed this surgery, she needed that surgery, wasn't sure she was going to make it through the night. Wasn't sure -- it was just an everyday fight, you know.

My kids were, you know, daddy I just want to talk to mommy or daddy, I miss mommy. And it was just -- they had to keep -- I had a space drawn for them and there was moments where I couldn't -- I couldn't -- my kids would sit at the dinner table and I would start crying. My 4- year-old would come and grab me and was like daddy, it's OK -- daddy, it's OK.

And then I would see my 7-year-old, he was like, Junior, he's crying again. And they would come and they were like daddy -- come on, daddy, let's go watch -- you know, let's go play video games. Let's go -- come and watch me play video games. They would try to find ways to entertain me.

And it was the longest -- it's been the longest five months. You know, I was mom, dad, doctor, schoolteacher. I was a little bit -- cook -- I was a little bit of everything during these last five months.

And, you know, I would have to go the hospital with her and learn how to change -- she had her trach. I would learn how to change her tracheotomy out and learn how to suction her three different ways. When she was on a ventilator I had to suction her out. I mean, it got to the point where now I'm actually interested in going to school and doing respiratory.

CAMEROTA: Wow. I mean, you have lived a lifetime of experience in those five months. It's hard to imagine really the crucible that you guys have been through.

And so, Crystal -- I mean, what are your thoughts on this Thanksgiving?

R. GUTIERREZ: Your thoughts on Thanksgiving. C. GUTIERREZ: My thoughts are that I am again, thankful to be home with my husband and my children. I would love for people to realize that it does need to be taken very seriously.

My grandmother would love for me to give thanks to one of the pastors who prayed for me over the phone. However, at his church, she says nobody's wearing masks. So that's, of course, now especially more than ever a big no-no for me.

[07:35:13]

R. GUTIERREZ: Yes.

C. GUTIERREZ: Not somewhere that I want to put myself at risk of going back down.

CAMEROTA: Yes, yes.

C. GUTIERREZ: But other than that, just thankful to be home. Thankful to be with my family and to know that I'm able to be here this Thanksgiving.

I had -- I had one night where the respiratory therapist had told me hey, nice to be awake. You're looking great. You know, we thought you weren't going to make it out of here unless you were in a wooden box. And it was kind of like thanks, I think. I'm not quite sure how to respond to that one.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

C. GUTIERREZ: But it was confirmed many times that a lot of the staff really thought I was not going to make it out.

CAMEROTA: Well, you are a miracle.

C. GUTIERREZ: (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: I'm sorry to interrupt you guys --

C. GUTIERREZ: (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: Yes, it's a miracle that you made it after being intubated for so long and being so sick and being so close to death. And so, of course, I understand why you want the church and everybody in the church to be able to wear a mask.

I should also just mention that you guys have a GoFundMe page -- the Gutierrez GoFundMe page. I will put it out on my social media, as well. Obviously, this has been devastating financially for you guys and for you having to care, Rafael, for all of the kids alone and all of that stuff, so I hope that people can help.

And we really appreciate you guys. We're thinking of you and we hope that you have obviously, a memorable Thanksgiving and a really healthy and special one. Thank you so much for being with us.

R. GUTIERREZ: And thank you for hearing us out.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: An incredible story.

We also want to remember some of the more than 262,000 Americans lost to coronavirus.

Forty-three-year-old LaTasha Benton was a hardworking activist for social justice in Lexington, Kentucky, who faced many challenges of her own. Benton endured two strokes, two kidney transplants, two hip replacements. Friends tell "The New York Times" through it all, though, she kept a smile that lit up a room.

Seventy-one-year-old Rita Ammons taught kids with special needs in Spencer, North Carolina. The "Salisbury Post" reports she was known for her crafty creativity in decorating her classroom. Friends say she was the kind of person who would drop everything to help.

To call Canton, Michigan security guard Don Lucas beloved might be an understatement. His ability to lift students up with his inspirational words led a high school senior to call him one of the greatest human beings I've ever met. Well now, that student tells CNN affiliate WDIV it's our job to be the Don and spread that love and kindness.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:23]

HILL: Canada's Atlantic bubble that had been seemingly insulating the country from coronavirus -- well now, it seems to be bursting. In four provinces in Canada's east coast, 2 1/2 million people have been living nearly coronavirus-free until now. Cases across Canada are spiking dramatically as CNN's Paula Newton explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For six months, Canada's Atlantic bubble has been a sanctuary, nearly 2 1/2 million people living mostly COVID-free.

Just listen to Erica Baker, a child psychologist and mother of three, getting her kids ready to go to school.

ERICA BAKER, MOTHER OF THREE, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: Right now, things have been very normal for them. It's been wonderful.

NEWTON (voice-over): Normal -- wonderful, even. The bubble has made it possible.

BAKER: Bye, guys.

NEWTON (voice-over): At its outer edge, the Atlantic bubble is just a six-hour drive from Boston but a world away from the current COVID reality. It includes four provinces -- New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Going into the bubble from anywhere, even the rest of Canada, you have to quarantine for 14 days. And then, mask mandates, distancing, aggressive testing, and contact tracing have kept cases near zero or close to it for months.

BAKER: We've had exceptional leadership. They have provided us with the right information so far, and I don't think that there's any reason to not trust that they're going to do the right things moving forward as well.

NEWTON (voice-over): That leadership is about to be tested. As cases rise into the dozens, even here, they're acting fast.

DR. ROBERT STRANG, NOVA SCOTIA'S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH: Yes, because you look elsewhere, a small number of cases left unchecked explodes into a very large number of cases. Your health care system starts to get overwhelmed. You have lots of unavoidable severe illness and death. And we see that in other places and we're doing everything we can to avoid that.

NEWTON (voice-over): Dr. Robert Strang is Nova Scotia's chief medical officer and so-called caretaker of the bubble. He's putting in place more restrictions to indoor dining and shopping. And now, quarantine- free travel to other provinces inside the bubble will have to end for a while.

For this retired senior amateur musician and one of the vulnerable, the bubble hasn't burst, it's just adapting to what he calls the tsunami of cases all around.

GORDON FLOWERDEW, RETIRED SENIOR AND AMATEUR MUSICIAN: I actually feel that the Atlantic bubble has been moderately successful at postponing the inevitable.

NEWTON (voice-over): Health experts say that has saved lives.

[07:45:01]

NEWTON (on camera): There is another side, though, to the success of the Atlantic bubble, especially because of the quarantine. Some argue the sacrifice has been too great, the hit to the economy too severe.

NEWTON (voice-over): We caught up with Jennifer Hutton at Montreal's airport going back into the bubble, staring down her 11th quarantine. As an I.T. specialist, she has to travel for work and is thankful for the bubble. But --

JENNIFER HUTTON, HALIFAX RESIDENT: It affected my well-being, my sleeping, my marriage because when you're isolating over and over again and you can't go out into public, in your own home -- like, you know, you feel trapped, and being trapped is not a nice feeling.

NEWTON (voice-over): For now, though, those in the bubble are acting fast to adapt to more restrictions, hoping it will strengthen people's resolve to fight on even when cases rise. SARAH GOSSE OUD, FOUNDER AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, LUMINATE CO WELLNESS MARKET, BEDFORD, NOVA SCOTIA: I think that people are just like let's get this done, let's get this over. Let's have Thanksgiving and Christmas. And let's solve this problem and have a safe space in our little bubble.

NEWTON (voice-over): That little bubble, no matter how vulnerable now, has given families like the Bakers a shot at normal life and peace of mind even during the worst waves of this pandemic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON (on camera): Alisyn, you heard it there, right? Normal -- wouldn't that be nice?

And this is not about not wearing masks or not adhering to the health rules. It has done two things. It has made sure that kids can go to school and actually interact with others. You can see your loved ones still, even in this bubble. And the other issue here is that, of course, it has continued to save countless lives -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Wow, so interesting, Paula. Thank you very much for bringing us that reporting.

Meanwhile, the people of Argentina are paying their tributes to one of their national heroes, soccer great Diego Maradona who died Wednesday from heart failure at the age of 60.

These are live pictures right now. Thousands of people lining up one after another. We see all masks at the moment. They are paying their respects as his coffin lies in state at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.

Maradona will forever be remembered for leading his country to the 1986 World Cup title. Argentina's president declared three days of national mourning in his honor.

Well, this Thanksgiving, more people are going hungry than ever before in our lifetimes. How you can help, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:39]

HILL: Millions of Americans are relying on food pantries to feed their families this Thanksgiving. The economic strain from the coronavirus pandemic has led many to face food insecurity for the first time in their lives.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (via Skype) (voice-over): The journey to get food through the cold and COVID-19 has been long and hard for Regina Status. REGINA STATUS, NEW YORK CITY RESIDENT: I've got to take it one day at a time and as long as you have for today, you save for tomorrow. When tomorrow gets here something's going to happen.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And it did, just in time.

STATUS: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No problem.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Days before Thanksgiving, Agatha House Foundation, a local food pantry in the Bronx, New York, made a special Thanksgiving delivery filled with everything she needs for her and her two teenage daughters.

STATUS: It's just a relief that I don't have to purchase all of that.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Over 50 million Americans like Regina won't have enough to eat in 2020, in part because of the pandemic.

Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief group in the U.S., projects that eight billion meals will be needed in the next year to feed food- insecure Americans.

CLAIRE BABINEAUX-FONTENOT, CEO, FEEDING AMERICA: About 40 percent of the people who, right now, are turning to food banks for help around the country are who -- people who never before relied upon the charitable food system.

STATUS: Onions --

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Regina is out of a job. Her car was totaled months ago and she's not receiving unemployment. She now relies on a once-a-week delivery from the food pantry.

YURKEVICH (on camera): Day-to-day, is your pantry stocked, or what does it look like day-to-day?

STATUS: Just survive it. That's all I can say. You just have to survive it.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): The 15th Congressional District here in the Bronx has the highest food insecurity rate among children in the country.

At Agatha House, they're hoping to take the stigma out of needing a little extra help.

JEANETTE JOSEPH-GREENAWAY, FOUNDER, AGATHA HOUSE FOUNDATION: We have to look and try to imagine ourselves in the position that we would want for ourselves. Not just to give them a cardboard box, but to make them feel loved and special.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): This small operation says it's seen a 100 percent increase in need. JOSEPH-GREENAWAY: Even with the little that they get, hopefully, there's someone in their building or one of their neighbors that they can invite for a plate of food.

STATUS: Yes, got to give Miss Mamie some stuff.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Despite her struggles to put food on the table --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

STATUS: You're welcome, Miss Mamie.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): -- Regina is sharing what she has with her neighbor and remains grateful for this Thanksgiving.

STATUS: Even if we didn't get to Agatha House or we was just having regular chicken every day, just to say that you was alive to eat it, that's a blessing in itself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH (via Skype) (on camera): Now, one of the ways that these food banks have been able to meet this increased demand is actually through the kindness of other Americans through donations. But there's a concern that as this holiday season passes, Americans will begin to forget that this need is there.

And, Erica, volunteers have been so key to putting on these massive food distributions. There's also a concern that as these COVID cases continue to spike across the country, volunteers will be scared to turn out in a time when they're needed most.

[07:55:00]

But obviously, there is something Americans can do during this time to help others, donating their time or money to help feed other hungry Americans -- Erica.

HILL: Yes, absolutely, and so important to have that reminder.

Vanessa, thank you.

And joining me now is Kyle Waide. He's the president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Kyle, good to have you with us today.

I want to pick on -- pick up on what Vanessa left off with there, right? We are seeing such an increase in need. And I was reading 50 percent of the people that you're seeing now in Atlanta have never needed food help before.

What has changed? Is this all pandemic-related?

KYLE WAIDE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK (via Cisco Webex): Well, Erica, thank you for having me, and happy Thanksgiving. The pandemic has led to what we think is the greatest domestic hunger crisis in our country in nearly a century. It has clearly disrupted the lives and finances for so many of our neighbors. And we're seeing people who used to be the volunteers handing out food at food distributions are now the people in line for the -- for that same assistance.

We know that there are at least 30 percent more people in our community who are facing food insecurity. And at the food bank, we're doing everything we can to feed more people. We've grown our distribution by 70 percent compared to what we were doing prior to the pandemic. And we know that we're going to have to continue doing that because we are by no means out of the woods yet.

HILL: How do you sustain that need? How do you continue to meet that need?

WAIDE: Well, that's a great question. We've been very generously supported by the community. We've received tremendous food supply support from our food donor partners and from federal stimulus resources.

To sustain it, we're going to continue to need financial support from the community and we're going to need Congress and the federal government to take action to authorize additional stimulus funding. That's really important that we get more stimulus resources to families and businesses and food banks so that we can keep our community solid until this crisis really abates.

HILL: You know, in terms of Congress getting that message, Vanessa has been doing such wonderful reporting for us over the last several weeks just talking about this need and the growing need. And we are seeing the pictures every day and we are hearing from people in those lines. We're hearing from people like you who are running the food distribution. And yet, we're getting silence out of Washington.

I mean, are you confident that you're actually going to get some help? And if so, when do you see that coming?

WAIDE: Well, we expect that there will be additional action taken. We're not sure when that will happen or how quickly it will happen or at what scale.

I think hunger is not a partisan issue. It is a community and a country issue and we need that support. Not just food banks but families and businesses in order to keep our economy on a stable footing and in order to keep our families in a position where they can emerge from this crisis in a better place, we need Congress to take action.

So we're certainly having conversations with our delegation in Georgia. We encourage your viewers to have that same conversation because together, if we provide the resources we need right now, we could really blunt this crisis and emerge stronger than we were before. HILL: And I think it's important to point out -- you know, we talk about this every year at the holidays and we talk about the need at the holidays, but this is a need that is there year-round. It is not just tied to a turkey on Thanksgiving and certainly, not these days.

Can you just put that in perspective for us -- what things have been like for you over the last several months, not just this week?

WAIDE: So, this has been unlike any crisis we've ever experienced at the food bank. We, as I said, have grown our food distribution by 70 percent. We, in the month of October, distributed 12 million pounds of food in a single month -- significantly more than we've ever distributed. And so, we've just been working around the clock to get as much food out to as many people as we can in as many places.

And what's most important to know is that this crisis is far from over. We're going to see elevated levels of demand for many months yet to come.

HILL: Yes.

WAIDE: And more importantly, this crisis has always been with us. Even when the pandemic recedes there's still going to be many people left behind who still face food insecurity. And one of the things I hope that we learn through his crisis is that the crisis has always been there but working together we can end it.

HILL: Yes, and we all have the power to do that.

Kyle Waide, thank you for everything you're doing today. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your staff and volunteers.

WAIDE: Thanks.

HILL: And for more information about how you at home can get help or give it, just log on to cnn.com/impact.

NEW DAY continues right now.

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