COVID-19 patient discharged after nearly 5 months in Phoenix hospital

PHOENIX — A man is thankful to be alive after spending nearly the last five months at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix battling COVID-19.

Jose Jimenez, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Sunday, came to the hospital’s emergency room on June 27 and was finally discharged on Tuesday.

Jimenez during his stay was put on a ventilator and on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 87 days, one of the hospital’s longest ECMO treatments without needing a lung transplant.

“I’ve missed a lot, including my son’s wedding, but I’m looking forward to being home for the holidays and spending time with family,” Jimenez said in a press release.

Jimenez prior to his battle against the virus was healthy, worked two jobs and weighed 200 pounds, the hospital said.

Over the course of his months-long fight, Jimenez lost 60 pounds and the hospital said he remains extremely weak.

Jimenez thanked medical professionals at the hospital who cared for him, saying they never gave up.

“I remember hearing them telling me I was going to make it and to keep fighting,” he said. “I’m a miracle.”

The battle is not over as Jimenez will now spend time at Banner Rehabilitation Hospital to build strength and gain stability to walk again, the hospital said.

Jimenez said he’s going to be doing a lot of educating about the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

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