A father who spent almost a month in the intensive care unit at Colchester Hospital battling Covid-19 has thanked doctors for saving his life as he prepares to return home to his family.
Jason Mageehan, 35, from Little Bromley near Manningtree, has been discharged from the critical care unit where he tested positive for coronavirus after three and a half weeks.
The father-of-one who is a creative director, received a special round of applause from hospital staff on Saturday, April 18, as he was moved to a regular ward.
Speaking of his care, Mr Mageehan said: “Covid-19 is not a harmless cold, for many it’s a death blow and it nearly was for me. But the Colchester team worked so hard on me.
“The level of care has been so intense, the staff genuinely have cared for me. But ultimately, I can’t wait to see my wife and daughter, they all know that and want that for me too.”
Mr Mageehan says the reason staff were clapping for him when he left ICU is because he was fully intubated, which many patients do not recover from.
Mr Mageehan, who is a father to one-year-old Blayke, underwent a kidney transplant three years ago and was advised to self-isolate early due to the immunosuppressants that he takes.
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He was admitted to hospital on March 25 after being assessed by paramedics for coronavirus and was taken straight to ICU, where he was put on a ventilator.
He has since stabilised and is now preparing to go home to his wife Eleth and daughter Blayke over the next few days.
“I have the most gorgeous little daughter and there wasn’t a second where I thought I’d lose the fight to be there for her,” explained Mr Mageehan, who is self-employed.
He says he has missed his wife and daughter terribly whilst in ICU, and his mum too, as the hospital has been on complete lockdown during the pandemic.
More: Subscribe to our daily coronavirus newsletter, with all the latest from where you liveSpeaking of the doctors and nurses who treated him, Mr Mageehan beamed: “I got very close to the staff, we even had a Friday night intensive care quiz. They are an incredible team.
“They have a great ethic of teamwork, but there is a definite feeling that they are preparing for months, not weeks, of Covid-19 care.
“The staff are doing so much training and shadowing. They’re getting prepared.”
Mr Mageehan is now waiting to go home with lots of home treatment and rehab booked in.
He says he is most looking forward to cuddling his daughter and enjoying some good food and drink.
More: 50 suspected cases of coronavirus in Suffolk care homes
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