A GoFundMe account has been set up for a Danielsville woman hospitalized with COVID-19. The fundraiser for Monica Newhard, of Danielsville, was set up Feb. 5 by her sister, Antoinette Strohl, of Bowmanstown.

As of press time, $1,515 of a $1,000 goal had been raised.

“I wanted to do something to help my sister Monica Gary Newhard, as she is in the hospital fighting for her life from COVID-19,” Strohl said. “I decided to start this fund to raise money to help her pay the medical bills she will have and maybe keep her business, This N That Finds U, afloat that she loves so much and works so hard at trying to succeed.”

Strohl said Newhard’s Palmerton business has been closed ever since she contracted COVID-19.

“It’s been closed since she’s gotten sick,” Strohl said. “She pretty much runs everything, the whole operation. It’s hard to do anything without her.”

Strohl said Newhard is still in the hospital. Her oxygen levels are very low, and they won’t release her until her oxygen levels are up.

“She has a viral pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia,” Strohl said. “She was getting the same treatment President Donald Trump had got, and it did help. She said even after the first one, she felt better.”

Strohl said Newhard has preexisting conditions as well.

“That is what is obviously making it worse for her,” she said. “She told me she was always afraid of getting COVID because she always knew if she would get it, it would be bad because of her other conditions.”

Strohl said New­hard’s symptoms started with a headache and that she was with her that day.

“From there, I believe she started getting chest pains, then was having trouble breathing,” Strohl said. “The next day her husband took her to the hospital. She said she thought she was going to die.

“When her husband found her the next morning, he looked at her, and she looked at him, and she couldn’t communicate,” Strohl added. “He had to pick her up and get her to the car. She couldn’t go on her own.”

Strohl said that both Newhard’s husband, Gary, and granddaughter, Helen, have also tested positive.

“I asked him how he and Helen were doing, and he said she has no symptoms, but he feels like he has a cold,” she said. “He said it’s the people whose immunity systems are already compromised that get it the worst like Monica. Their immunity is too low to fight the virus.”

On the day she started the GoFundMe account, Strohl said the level of support was amazing.

“That whole day I was literally answering messages, was on the phone with people calling about her, responding to Facebook and just thanking people the whole day,” she said, adding how happy she was they reached their goal.

“I was so grateful. She’s going to be so thrilled. It really will help a lot,” Strohl said. “I’m very grateful to all the people that donated, and I’m very grateful to all the people that care about Monica. She’s a really good-hearted person. She would do anything for anybody.

“Monica has such a big heart when it comes to her grandchildren, her five fur babies (and all animals really) and helping people in any way that she can,” Strohl said. “All of your thoughts and prayers for Monica have been priceless.”

Strohl said it’s been difficult not being able to see her sister.

“It’s just a horrible disease,” she said. “People are confined in hospitals and nursing homes and can’t even feed their loved ones who are sick and scared. Their families and friends are scared and want to see them.

“All the prayers and words of hope and kindness - I think that’s what helped her, besides the medicine,” Strohl added.

Strohl said Newhard is “very grateful” for the support.

“We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers that were sent to her,” she said. “I talked to her a couple of times. She hasn’t really been on Facebook a lot to see and read everything, but she knows about it and that everyone is praying for her to get better, so she really appreciates that.”

Contributions can be made at gofundme.com/f/monica-newhard-covid-recovery-fund?fbclid=IwAR14uTM80ytsAPCDvs0AR5x.