Richardson man finally home after 10-month long battle with COVID-19
RICHARDSON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Tonight, a very real reminder that COVID-19 is still impacting lives. After a 10-month long battle with the virus, a Richardson man is finally home with a renewed appreciation for life.
For most of his life, Phil Hollen has been the definition of healthy.
"I've always been a runner and for the last eight years I've done triathlons," he said.
His last time to compete was the Ironman Texas in October of 2021 because a month later he caught COVID-19.
"The first few days weren't too bad, but then I ended up in the ER and it was pretty strong thereafter," he said.
He said his lungs, then eventually his liver and kidneys started failing.
He had to go from Richardson Methodist Hospital where he was on a ventilator to Baylor Heart Hospital where he was put on an ECMO machine - which acts as heart and a lung by taking carbon dioxide-filled blood out of the body and pumping oxygen-filled blood back in - while in a medically induced coma.
"He could not be touched, he could not be talked to, he could not be stimulated at all," his wife, Dee, said. "There were some very, very scary times where I had to call the family in and say this might be it, which was very hard."
But Hollen continued to fight and was able to eventually move into a long-term acute care facility and then a rehab facility before finally being cleared to go home.
"My moto was, 'Ironmans don't quit,'" he said. "I guess I didn't have any quit in me."
"What I say is God didn't have any quit in him because without God none of this would be possible," Dee said.
To those who may be wondering if he's vaccinated, Dee said, "It's just not relevant. This story is about how God carried us through this."
They say being together is a blessing.
"Absolutely amazing," Dee said. "I never thought this day would come."
"I'm glad to be home," Hollen said. "I came home Sunday to a hero's welcome. All our family and friends were out front. It was amazing."
While his journey is not over, Hollen says he'll now take it one day at a time and hopes one day he'll once again be able to compete.
"Just to say I'm back.. to cross that finish line.. yeah.. it'd be good," he said.
