A teen who almost died from coronavirus despite having no underlying health conditions has told how he must now learn to walk again.
Student Jack Edge, 17, from Rathfarnham, Dublin, spent almost a month in hospital including 12 days on a ventilator fighting for his life.
Now the brave lad, who has had to be readmitted twice due to complications from the killer virus, is urging young people to “do the right thing”.
“I ended up in ICU on a ventilator for 12 days. And 22 weeks on, I’m still recovering,” Jack told RTE today.
“I personally have experienced probably one of the worst things in my life because of Covid and I just want to raise awareness for young people.”
Jack first began to show symptoms on April 15, and was admitted to Tallaght Hospital five days later.
Within 12 hours of going into hospital he had to be admitted to intensive care.
He went on: “I was put into ICU and within a few hours, even though they said to her [his mum] that it wouldn’t need to be done, I was on a ventilator because I couldn’t breathe properly.
“One memory which really haunts me sometimes - I have a lot of trauma from ICU - especially when they put this airtight mask on me to help my breathing.
“It was the middle of the night and I was screaming, crying, it was really horrible.”
But the nightmare wasn’t over. After 12 days, Jack’s condition improved enough that he was able to come off the ventilator and he was moved from ICU to a high dependency ward.
He continued: “I didn’t sleep for three days, not by choice. I literally couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes it was just dizziness, and loads of colours, and it felt like I was falling over.
“So I literally had to stay in bed for 72 hours, looking at a wall.”
Jack said that as well as the obvious physical challenges Covid posed, the virus also took its toll on his mental wellbeing.
“I’ve had a lot of dark times in the hospital as well. For my mental health, since I do struggle with anxiety too,” he explained.
Jack finally got the news he’d be waiting for on May 13 when a nurse manager told him he could go home.
“I’ll never forget those words,” Jack continued. “I just told her, ‘Can I give you a hug?’ It was probably the best day of my life.”
Jack was finally able to be reunited with his family, who he hadn’t seen in almost a month.
He said: “There was a lot of emotion, a lot of crying, that was the first time I’d seen them in a long time.”
On May 28 he was readmitted to hospital in excruciating pain. Medics told the teen he had likely suffered nerve damage from Covid.
He continued: “There’s no doubt about it - I basically have to learn to walk again.
“I’m taking about 10 tablets every 12 hours, so that’s about 18-20 tablets every day. To heal my nerves, for my anxiety and for the actual pain itself.
“I do two to two and a half hours of physio every day depending on how much energy I have.”
Jack was admitted to hospital for a third time just last month when he began suffering severe chest pains and having difficulty breathing.
He continued: “I’ve got frustrated with a lot of people because obviously of my history of Covid and what it’s done to me.”
The brave teen now wants young people to take the virus seriously.
He said: “My main message for young people is, do it for you, do it for your friends."
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