Covid survivor back home after gruelling battle - ‘I’m one of the lucky ones, so many have not made it’

The 67-year-old was discharged last Friday from the Waterside Hospital where he had to learn to walk again after being severely weakened by the six weeks he had spent fighting for his life in ICU in Altnagelvin last autumn.

On October 10, 2020, Neil was admitted to Altnagelvin with a gall bladder infection.

A week later, after his condition deteriorated drastically, it was confirmed he had contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Suffering from diabetes and with five stents in his heart as a result of previously diagnosed cardiovascular issues, he was extremely vulnerable to the disease. He was so ill he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit where he spent six weeks fighting for his life.

Since his return home last weekend, his wife Bridie and son Michael have been showing him some photographs that were taken while he was being ventilated in ICU during those horrific weeks in the autumn.

Neil is overjoyed to be reunited with his family and speaking from his home said he wanted to thank the front-line health care staff for saving his life.

“The hard time was for my family. I was just lying there being treated by a fantastic bunch of nurses and health care professionals and surgeons and doctors and cleaners and everything.

“The whole team pulled me through but my family were sitting together every day and talking to me even though I was unconscious and the ICU were facilitating that so that my children could talk to me. They are the ones who went through it. I was unconscious,” he said.

The McCaffertys are grateful for the thoughts and prayers of everyone who lent their support to the family during their darkest hours.

“The people of Derry have been unbelievable. We’ve had messages from people we didn’t even know.

“It’s a message of hope, of thanks and appreciation, of friends, family, people beyond, the NHS,” said his son Michael.

Neil’s wife Bridie adds: “It’s a message to say how much love is in the world.”

Last Saturday, a day after being discharged from hospital, Neil received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Foyle Arena. He is continuing his recuperation at home and recognises it will be a long road back to a full recovery so severe is the toll the virus has taken on his body.

“It’s great to be home. I’ve still got a fair way to go. I’m constantly reminded that I’m the lucky one. So many haven’t made it. It’s hard to take and accept and be elated, having survived compared to others.

“It’s a long road to recovery but I’m well supported by my great family, my wife, my son and all my daughters and the extended family,” he said.

“You wonder why these people, when they see myself and so many other examples of people whose lives have been ruined - maybe they have died, maybe they have survived - don’t believe that it is real.

“Even the survivors, nobody gets away completely scot free. That’s the bottom line.”