Coronavirus Delaware County: After Being Hooked Up On Ventilator, COVID-19 Survivor Receives Special Homecoming
HAVERTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- After his successful removal from a ventilator earlier this week, a COVID-19 survivor received quite the Havertown homecoming. It was a hero's welcome home Sunday afternoon for Jim Griesser, and his wife Pam Griesser was finally again at his side.
A parade rolled by the Griesser's home on Drexel Avenue on Sunday as the community held signs of support as he joyously waved on the caravan from outside of his house.
Remember, in these days of COVID-19, visitors rarely make it to the bedside when you're in the ICU.
Griesser was in for two weeks on a ventilator. At first, he fought through mild symptoms at home.
"Lethargic, chills, little respiratory issues, but nothing crazy," he told CBS3 on Sunday night.
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Griesser says he was sleeping through it for four or five days, but to his surprise, it was longer than that.
"Now that my wife gives me the full story, it was about 10 days," he said.
Griesser, the owner of a small statistical programming company and co-owner of the Manoa Tavern, then went downhill suddenly.
"That Friday, he woke up, he was very short of breath and within six hours, he was on a ventilator," Pam Griesser said. "It was just crazy."
"Fourteen of those 19 days, I was unconscious basically on a ventilator," Jim Griesser said.
Bryn Mawr Hospital was his home for 19 days.
"It was just a scary time," Pam Griesser said.
Griesser was wheeled out last week -- heroes and heroes everywhere. It's now time to get busy living again for this guy.
"I'm looking forward to a lot of spending a lot of time with grandchildren down the road and thankful for the opportunity. You realize like everybody who goes through this, life's precious, family is important, there's a reason this happened," he said.
"Just know, miracles do happen, and people come out on the other side, a little weaker," Pam Griesser said, "but he's going to be back to his normal self soon, and this is a good story here."
He's clearly loved in the community and his diagnosis was a shock.
"It's just so scary and when we heard it was Jim, we were all just praying, praying really hard. So much love for Jim. He's quite the personality," Ginny Bruton, a family friend, said.
Sacred Heart School organized the parade.
