On St. Patrick's Day, having a glass of beer may signify celebrating the holiday, while also unwinding. But for Bart Recker of Ottawa, this glass means more.
Bart suffered from Covid-19, and found himself in the hospital for more than 100 days. Extreme treatment measures were needed to help him breathe, with staff hooking him up to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which pumps and oxygenates a patients blood outside of the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest.
"The doctor I first came in with said you might be out of here in a week or two, we'll get some treatments in you," said Bart Recker. "Next thing I know I was incubated and I didn't know anything for the next three months... I woke up, and was wondering 'What's going on?' "
But with the help from his doctors at Mercy Health St. Rita's, he was able to make a full recovery. To celebrate, he wanted to go enjoy a St. Patrick's Day drink with the doctors who helped him along the way.
"When you are with someone for about three months, you're going to develop a kindred spirit," said Dr. William Cole, Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Health St. Rita's. "And we are human beings who are delivering care to human beings and we never forget that."
"Day in and day out, there was someone here for him for almost 150 days constantly," said Sandeep Patel, Mercy Health St. Rita's Interventional Cardiologist.
Bart can now take that first sip that he has been desperately waiting for, not only for himself, but for his wife and kids, and the doctors who supported him.
"I just kept believing and so I knew this day was going to come," said Mindy Recker, Bart's wife. "Against all odds, I knew this day was going to come so to be here is just, it's hard to put into words. "
"Oh it's just amazing what happened to me, so, just, a lot of love," added Bart.
Bart will now continue to undergo physical therapy to get back to his full form.Â
