A Peterborough man who spent more than eight months at Peterborough Regional Health Centre fighting COVID-19 was discharged Friday morning to the rousing applause of staff.
Many staff at Peterborough Regional Health Centre lined the hallways as Don Graham was led out of the hospital in a wheelchair, marking the end of his battle with COVID-19 after being admitted on April 6.
“It should be me clapping all them out,” an emotional Graham told Global News Peterborough just outside the hospital.
“They were all wonderful. Everybody — I want everybody to take this COVID-19 thing extremely seriously. You don’t want to go through this — or worse.”
Graham, 72, retired from the Peterborough Police Service 20 years ago. He has diabetes, but otherwise, said he was in good health when he contracted the coronavirus.
He spent five weeks intubated and had surgery during his 249 days in hospital. His wife Corrine says it was a stressful journey for the family.
“It was just touch-and-go whether he would ever survive,” she added. “So we’re so grateful to everything everybody did.”
“You never knew from one day to the next because his condition was up and down and up and down,” she added. “And it was a long, hard struggle.”
Sitting in his driveway of his Edison Avenue home, Graham said he’s most looking forward to being around Corrine. He said he’s grateful.
“I’m happy to be here,” he said. “I don’t just mean at this house but on this planet.”
Corrine is inviting the community to welcome her husband home by visiting their residence (453 Edison) on Saturday at 11 a.m.
“Whether you walk by, drive by or whatever — any way — just to say hi,” she said.
Corrine added that COVID-19 is “no joke.”
“It can happen to anyone,” she said. “But please, be careful. Wear your masks and social distance and wash your hands.”
His wife Corrine says COVID-19 is “not joke.””
“It can happen to anyone. But please, be careful. Wear your masks and social distance and wash your hands,” she said.