Posted on October 12, 2020
Saginaw man returns home after three months in hospitals fighting COVID-19
Six months ago, John Curtis was a healthy 44-year-old, living life. Then one day, he woke up with a 104-degree temperature.
He had COVID-19.
John “has been through a lot,” said Dr. Ralph Wang, a physiatrist at Mary Free Bed who oversaw his rehabilitation care.
The Saginaw man graduated Sept. 30 from Mary Free Bed and headed home — 195 days after he left. He spent several weeks in an acute-care hospital battling for his life. As his condition worsened, John was placed in a medically induced coma and needed a ventilator to help him breathe.
During that time, he experienced several complications, including abdominal surgery for a hole in his colon, a collapsed lung, repeated seizures and neurological damage. At one point, John developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. He also was affected by critical illness myopathy, a complication from long-term hospitalization that causes muscle weakness.
John’s condition slowly improved, and he was transferred to Mary Free Bed on July 31 to begin intensive rehabilitation. When he arrived, he was extremely debilitated and unable to sit up or stand without help.
His plan of care, overseen by Dr. Wang, included three hours daily of physical, occupational and speech therapies.
“He’s done fantastic,” Wang said. “We’re really proud of his outcome.”
John made progress cognitively and physically, regaining enough strength and stamina to graduate from Mary Free Bed’s Intensive Medical Rehabilitation Program.
“Since being at Mary Free Bed, I’ve seen him make so much progress,” said his wife, Debi.
Since graduating, John will begin outpatient therapy through Mary Free Bed at Covenant in Saginaw to continue his recovery.
WOOD-TV 8 shared John’s story: Man headed home after six-month battle with COVID complications
