Essex dad who spent 19 days in coma returns home after recovering from Covid-19
A father-of-two who spent 19 days in an induced coma at Colchester Hospital after contracting coronavirus has been allowed to return home.
Healthcare company executive Omar Taylor, 31, had to be put on a ventilator and had two strokes, two blood clots, sepsis, pneumonia and heart failure during his month-long stay in intensive care.
He was initially taken to hospital by ambulance on March 19 after he became so out of breath he couldn't walk.
Thankfully, he went on to make a remarkable recovery and was clapped by NHS staff at the hospital as he was discharged.
His family had earlier been told that he would "probably never walk again".
After leaving hospital on Sunday, Mr Taylor was given an incredible ovation by his neighbours in the village of Rowhedge near Colchester, who lined the streets to welcome him home.
Watch Omar's neighbours welcome him home
"It was really scary. I used to leave my phone on loud every night thinking this is the night the doctors are going to call me to say he didn't make it. I used to call every single morning at 5am in a panic thinking of the worst," his wife Kaitlyn told ITV News Anglia.
"It's just so amazing, we keep staring at each other. I keep telling him this is way better than our honeymoon, the days both our kids were born, it's just so amazing to have him home. I stare at him, like this wasn't meant to happen, I never expected him to come home, ever."
Mr Taylor is the first person to successfully come off a ventilator at Colchester Hospital during the current crisis, and although his right arm remains paralysed, doctors are hopeful he will regain 90% of his function by the end of they year.
In the meantime, he'll receive intensive rehabilitation at home which will be paid for by a GoFundMe page set up to support him and his family.
"I didn't like it when daddy was away, I only like it when daddy's here," daughter Vivienne Taylor said.
"I like cuddling him all day long and I don't even let him go once."
Watch an interview with Omar's wife Kaitlyn and daughter Vivienne
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