Stephenson spent more than two months intubated and in a medically induced coma, fighting COVID-19 along with severe complications.
“We, every day, were like, ‘I don’t know if he is going to make it,’” Jennifer Clark, an intensive care unit nurse at the hospital, said.
He fought hard and there were glimmers of hope.
“He was looking around and his heart rate was maintaining more of a stable number. I do remember that day. I was like, ‘You know what, I think he’s a fighter,’” Clark said.
With the help of Clark and the Cheshire Medical Center team, Stephenson started to breathe on his own, gain strength and was released to rehab by the beginning of 2022.
“He is probably one of our first success stories in those dark times,” Khole said.
At the height of the pandemic, Clark said Stephenson’s recovery was the encouragement her team so desperately needed.
“It really did help us feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Clark said.
Since then, Clark has taken on a new role as a supervisor and recently got a call from a colleague referring someone for an open position.
“I actually was like, ‘OK, who is this person? Why do I know this name?’ Then it hit me. I said, ‘My patient from the ICU?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, wouldn’t he be great?’ And I was like, ‘This is amazing,’” Clark said.
In his quest to fully recover, Stephenson decided he needed to give back to the people who saved his life.
“To see him walking was a miracle. I mean, he met me in the hallway and said, ‘I don’t know whether you recognize me.’ I was like, ‘Yes, I do!’” Khole said.
He started as a volunteer and in May, he applied to be a telemetry monitor, keeping a close eye on patients through the very machines that measured his vital signs during his illness.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this person had the worst of his days in this facility and yet he is coming back because he wants to give back to people,’” Clark said.
Stephenson admits he misses his life before COVID-19.
“I daydream about it, to be honest,” Stephenson said.
So, while he works toward flying again, he’s finding purpose and joy in the most unexpected place.
“I want other people to see that there is always hope. You know, if you’re still here, there’s hope,” Stephenson said.
“He has made me really appreciate what I do and reinforce that what I chose to do for a career was the right thing,” Clark said.
