A coronavirus survivor yesterday thanked the medical staff who saved his life and described how grateful he is to have beaten the deadly bug.
Dave Crabb and his wife Netanya said his recovery from the deadly bug can give people renewed hope that infection doesn’t have to mean a death sentence.
He added: “If it wasn’t for them [healthcare staff] I genuinely don’t think I would be here.”
The 45-year-old spent nine days on a life support machine at Cork University Hospital.
The couple who live in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, had travelled to New York early last month on what they described as the trip of a lifetime.
However, Dave began to feel unwell within a week of their return to Ireland.
He had a temperature and shortness of breath and the couple joked he might have coronavirus.
Dave, who had previously been fit and healthy and had no underlying condition before he contracted Covid-19, continued to deteriorate and he was admitted to hospital.
His symptoms got worse and within 30 hours he was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.
He told RTE News: “Straight away, you think of your family, the kids. What happens if I don’t wake up.”
Dave spent nine days on a ventilator before he began to improve and he was transferred first from intensive care to high dependency.
He was then released from hospital last week and but has been told he will have to spend several weeks recovering at home.
Paying tribute to the selfless healthcare staff who helped save his life, he added: “Everyone put their lives at risk, every single day.
“They were working around the clock to try to keep me going.”
