Winning the Fight
Parade organized for man who survived COVID-19
After a local man fought for his life and beat COVID-19, his family organized a parade in his honor.
Douglas Casey, 70, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 20, 2020. After being admitted into the hospital, his family was not expecting things to get worse.
After seeing a quick decline in his health, he was ultimately placed on a ventilator on Christmas morning.
"This was the worst Christmas ever", said his daughter Karla Casey. "We lost my brother, Brian Clegg, to COVID in September and to be faced with the same situation just three months later was devastating," Karla Casey stated.
He spent nearly a month on the ventilator and had to have emergency dialysis, as well as, a tracheotomy performed.
"The COVID was literally attacking his body. It was like a ping pong ball. As doctors worked on one thing, something else would happen", said Karla Casey.
"The doctors stated that he had a high chance of mortality and a very poor prognosis. Our family was preparing for the worse as the news became more devastating."
All of a sudden, things were starting to turn around. He started getting better and ultimately was discharged to go home after spending 66 days in the hospital, she said.
His family did a drivethrough parade on March 20 to celebrate this victory.
"Today was one of the best days of my life", said Douglas Casey. "I would like to thank my niece Casey Caradine and my daughter Karla for getting me to the hospital as quickly as they did. Had they not made the decision to take me, this would have had a different outcome."
He was discharged from the hospital on February 24, 2021.