COLORADO SPRINGS — It took a lot of tears, worrying, and praying to get through, but Stephen Ross says he is free of COVID-19 after spending months at the hospital. It all started around March, when the 62-year-old says he called his doctor and was immediately told to go to the hospital.
"They didn't like the way I was sounding," Stephen Ross explained. "I wasn't breathing or talking right."
Stephen Ross was admitted to UCHealth Memorial Hospital where he was given a coronavirus test. It came back positive. Shortly after, Stephen Ross's kidneys began to fail and his family began to fear the worst.
"I was really crying and could not hold myself together," said Jeremy Ross, Stephen's oldest son. "I've already lost one parent and I want my father with me. I just turned to God and asked him to help me out," Jeremy Ross said.
To make matters worse, Stephen Ross's breathing got so bad that he had to be put on a ventilator.
"I just made sure I did what the doctors told me to do," Stephen Ross said. "My family was praying, the doctors and nurses were praying, and that kept my spirits up."
Stephen Ross is a man of faith. He used words of comfort to help stay positive, even when things weren't looking too good.
"There's a scripture in the Bible that says I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. The Bible encouraged me and helped me to persevere," he said.
After weeks of being on ventilator, praying, and listening to the doctors, he made a recovery and is now resting at home. It's still hard for him to talk because his breathing is so labored. He also has to use a walker to get around. Stephen Ross is on dialysis, but doctors say after a couple of years of therapy he should make a full recovery.
The Ross family says they hope more people will learn from their experience, and start wearing a mask.
