tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
It's an incredible story of perseverance. A Holland man has returned home for good after a 6 month battle with the H1N1 virus.
Gregory Clark has inspired his family, friends and the medical staff who helped save his life. Greg and his wife Chawnette are saying goodbye to the bad cough he had back in November. It was a rare strain of H1N1 that morphed into pneumonia, then respiratory failure, a clotting disorder, a coma, strokes, kidney failure, and the amputation of a leg.
After 6 months, they're finally ready to go home. "I've slept on floors, I've slept on hospital couches, waiting in waiting rooms. I'd slept in recliners, I slept standing up. I refused to leave his side," says Chawnette.
This homecoming includes a special gift from the community. A wheelchair ramp was donated by local union carpenters who heard his story. "I'm really proud that I did it, I mean this was quite a story for this man," says George Janowicz.
That story is months of hospitalizations, physical therapy, and setbacks. And Greg will one day be able to get out of his wheelchair, tremendous progress for a man who nearly died more than once. "There were times when they asked us to gather family and told us he only had a couple hours to live. He defied every one of those odds," says Chawnette.
Even today, doctors told Greg he has a new case of pneumonia, but this time he can recover at home. "I hope nobody else has to go through what I'm going through. But hold on, you can do it," says Greg.
Greg is happy that he's ready to come home and that his home is ready for him. When local carpenters heard about Greg's story they decided to step in and help by building a ramp and it's community support like that that has meant the world to this family.
The family hopes their heartwarming story will help many more people going through tough times. Greg has big plans for the summer. Now that he's home, he can't wait to go on a long fishing trip.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7467863
Gregory Clark has inspired his family, friends and the medical staff who helped save his life. Greg and his wife Chawnette are saying goodbye to the bad cough he had back in November. It was a rare strain of H1N1 that morphed into pneumonia, then respiratory failure, a clotting disorder, a coma, strokes, kidney failure, and the amputation of a leg.
After 6 months, they're finally ready to go home. "I've slept on floors, I've slept on hospital couches, waiting in waiting rooms. I'd slept in recliners, I slept standing up. I refused to leave his side," says Chawnette.
This homecoming includes a special gift from the community. A wheelchair ramp was donated by local union carpenters who heard his story. "I'm really proud that I did it, I mean this was quite a story for this man," says George Janowicz.
That story is months of hospitalizations, physical therapy, and setbacks. And Greg will one day be able to get out of his wheelchair, tremendous progress for a man who nearly died more than once. "There were times when they asked us to gather family and told us he only had a couple hours to live. He defied every one of those odds," says Chawnette.
Even today, doctors told Greg he has a new case of pneumonia, but this time he can recover at home. "I hope nobody else has to go through what I'm going through. But hold on, you can do it," says Greg.
Greg is happy that he's ready to come home and that his home is ready for him. When local carpenters heard about Greg's story they decided to step in and help by building a ramp and it's community support like that that has meant the world to this family.
The family hopes their heartwarming story will help many more people going through tough times. Greg has big plans for the summer. Now that he's home, he can't wait to go on a long fishing trip.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7467863