Nurse, 62, recovers from the coronavirus after 17 days on a ventilator: 'You can beat it'

Elise Solé
Updated ·3 min read
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Colorado hospital staff lined the hallways of UC Health to bid farewell to a nurse who recovered from COVID-19. (Photo: Courtesy of UCHealth)
Colorado hospital staff lined the hallways of UC Health to bid farewell to a nurse who recovered from COVID-19. (Photo: Courtesy of UCHealth)

A 62-year-old nurse who spent 17 days on a ventilator while battling COVID-19, left the hospital to thunderous applause and the song “Eye of the Tiger.”

Deb Hoffman is a licensed practical nurse at UCHealth Family Medicine Clinic in Greeley, Colorado who became infected with COVID-19 in April. When her fever topped 103 degrees, Hoffman was rushed to UCHealth Greeley Hospital, then to the ICU at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.

Hoffman was intubated for 17 days and on May 9, she was transferred to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins for rehab. “By the grace of the God, I made it,” she tells Yahoo Life. Hoffman adds that a new medication and a procedure called “proning,” in which doctors turn respiratory patients onto their stomachs to help clear their lungs, were game-changers.

Staff wanted Hoffman to have a special departure, so in-patient rehabilitation manager Rachel Geoghan helped develop a plan. “The therapy team was moved by Deb’s story and advocated for a large celebration,” Geoghan tells Yahoo Life. “They saw how far she had come.”

Physical therapist Megan O’Brien adds, “It was pretty profound. I don’t know if [we had] a dry eye. When Deb came to us she was very weak and she made such gains.”

On Wednesday, Hoffman gave a thumbs-up as she was wheeled down the hospital hallway filled with cheering medical staff who held a “We are so proud of you” sign and played the song “Eye of the Tiger.” Hoffman’s sister Penny Eidem, her brother-in-law Steve and her nephew Justin were waiting outside.

Hearing the song was humbling. “My first thought was, ‘Do I deserve this?’ It’s good I wore a mask because I was crying,” says Hoffman.

After six weeks of hospitalization, Hoffman wants to return to work as soon as possible and says the slightest drop of hope can help with recovery. “You can beat this.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.


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