While it’s very important to take the dangers of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 illness it causes, it’s also important to our mental health to celebrate those who have fought the longest, hardest battles and won.
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In Cedar Rapids, 44-year-old Chad Edmonds is the latest to get the full celebratory treatment after a whopping 35 days of fighting.
We think of the most vulnerable as older people or those with compromised immune systems, but prior to infection, Chad was a healthy, normal guy.
His infection started with a slight cough and what doctors first thought was the flu, but after only a few days, he was struggling to breathe.
At the UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s ER, he was put on oxygen.
But 24 hours later, his condition was still deteriorating and doctors were forced to put him on a ventilator.
They let him call his wife at 1:30 in the morning before putting him on the machine that would keep him alive for the next 15-16 days.
Once well enough to come off the machine, he still had a long road to recovery.
It was a while yet before he was strong enough to start physiotherapy to build back some strength, but after a week of great progress, he was finally able to go home 36 days after getting sick.
After such a hard-won battle, the hospital and community wanted to celebrate.
Hospital staff lined the hallways, clapping and cheering for him as he left for the first time and a whole motorcycle parade awaited to escort him home. Most importantly, he was able to hug his family.
Chad still has a long way to go before he’s recovered enough to return to a normal life, but his story reminds us that there is hope to cling to in these difficult times.
h/t: The Gazette
