ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. – COVID-19 has changed how people interact with one another and may have inspired others to serve.
“They fought every step of the way to keep me alive and I’m very grateful,” Robert Heath Howard, a former patient, said.
Howard was diagnosed with COVID-19 in August 2021.
“On the fifth day, I woke up and I couldn’t breathe, I was rushed to Lewis Gale Alleghany,” Howard said.
Doctors urged Howard to go on a ventilator, but he initially refused. A few days later, he changed his mind.
After two weeks, Howard was transferred to Roanoke-Memorial and still struggled.
“My statistics were very poor at the time, the doctors told my wife that I had a 10 to 15% chance of living,” Howard said.
In October of 2021, Howard randomly woke up and began his recovery, which included learning to walk again.
Because of the care he received while on the ventilator, he wanted to change careers. He went from working in maintenance to becoming a registered nurse.
“The care that I received from both here and Roanoke Memorial was so wonderful that it inspired a desire to help others,” he said.
Lewis Gale’s parent company offers significant incentives to get people like Howard to join the healthcare industry.
“As we are seeing the nursing shortage, our parent company has offered $800,000 for people like health who want to pursue their career and education to become registered nurses,” Assitant Chief Nursing Officer Nicole Tucker said.