Heartbeat July 2020

Dad reveals 58-day battle with
deadly virus in hospital
COVID-19
Jonathan with wife Maria Yague and their children (far left) Nathan Marty Yague, aged 20
and (far right) Seth Kenny Yague, aged 11
A dad-of-two has thanked colleagues
at Sandwell Hospital for saving his
life after he battled coronavirus for 58
days. The family of Jonathan Yague
described his recovery as a “miracle”, as
he was finally discharged on 2 June.
He said: “I am so grateful for the care
and the quick-thinking of staff working
at Sandwell Hospital. Their actions most
definitely saved my life. They assessed that
I needed ventilation as my condition was
rapidly deteriorating and then liaised with
staff at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester to
ensure I was transferred there quickly and
safely.
“The last thing I remember is being
intubated at Sandwell Hospital on 6 April.
I was put into an induced coma and finally
woke up on 18 May. I asked the nurse what
date it was and when she told me, the
realisation of what had happened kicked in.
I just cried. My wife Maria has been filling in
the gaps for me about what happened, but
I remember how I was unable to breathe.”
The 48-year-old was put on a ventilator in
critical care after he was assessed in our
emergency department and then in the
acute medicine unit. Jonathan, whose wife
Maria works as a sister in imaging, quickly
deteriorated despite having no underlying
conditions.
Seven days later he was transferred to
Glenfield Hospital, where some of the
sickest coronavirus patients are treated
using a specialist Extra Corporeal Membrane
Oxygenation (ECMO) machine.
“I prayed day and night that he would get
better,” Maria recalled. “At the same time I
also had coronavirus and our eldest son was
suffering with symptoms, although he tested
negative. We weren’t hospitalised, but it was
just a horrendous situation.”
Within a month, in what Maria describes as
a miracle, Jonathan’s condition started to
improve. He was transferred back to Sandwell
Hospital’s critical care unit where he
continued to recover.
Jonathan was finally moved out of
critical care on 23 May and recovered on
two wards, Priory 5 and Lyndon 5, until
he was discharged. He added: “I am so
glad to be home, but I am still recovering
and trying to regain my strength. I am
learning to walk again as I lost a lot of
muscle mass. I am still short of breath,
but I am getting better.
“I am forever indebted to those who
have cared for me throughout this
terrible ordeal and would also like
to thank all my family, friends, and
colleagues at work and those who had
supported my family during this difficult
time. They all prayed non-stop for my
recovery. Maria would also like to thank
her colleagues within Imaging for their
support.”
Jonathan has a warning for those people
considering breaking social distancing
rules: “I’ve suffered terribly. I had multiorgan
failure, and was bleeding through
my mouth and nose - I was close to
death. When I see people ignoring social
distancing measures it makes me cringe
– I can’t believe the photographs I’ve
seen of crowded beaches.
“I fear there will be a second wave
which will be much worse than what
we have experienced so far. People need
to think about what they are doing and
maintain social distancing. Whether
that’s when they are visiting their local
supermarket, going to a park or even
popping out to see a relative. I hope that
my story will make people think about
what they are doing to protect others
from this virus. I am just thankful to be
alive and be with my precious family.”
Dr Nick Sherwood, Joint Clinical Lead,
Critical Care Services, cared for Jonathan
during his time at Sandwell Hospital.
He said: “I'm overjoyed that Jonathan is
back home with his family. His journey
was particularly long and difficult but it
is patients like Jonathan who really lift
the spirits of the whole ICU team when
we know they've gone home. However,
I also share his concerns about a second
wave. COVID-19 is not beaten. It has
not gone away. If we follow the advice
about social distancing and hygiene we
can significantly reduce the risk of other
people ending up as sick as Jonathan.”
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