Kaweah Delta holds first of hopefully many celebrations for COVID-19 patient
Kaweah Delta holds first celebration for COVID-19 patient
Visalia man, COVID-19 and stroke survivor, is first honored in celebration
VISALIA, CA – Kaweah Delta Health Care District is holding celebrations
for patients who have either recovered or are on the road to recovery
from COVID-19.
In a touching first celebration, approximately 100 Kaweah Delta team members
huddled in the lobby of Kaweah Delta’s Rehabilitation Hospital in
Visalia recently to wish Warren Gaines, 58, of Visalia, farewell after
37 days in the hospital. Gaines, a COVID-19 and stroke survivor, was wheeled
out to be reunited with his wife and son as Journey’s hit “Don’t
Stop Believin” played in the background. Kaweah Delta team members
cheered Gaines on as he smiled from ear to ear.
“I was just overwhelmed because I saw everybody lined up,”
said Martha Gaines, Warren’s wife, who waited at the lobby entrance
for her husband of 31 years. “That’s my favorite song in the
world and to hear that - it was just amazing. To see his smile when he
was coming and his excitement and fist pumping and to see nurses crying
and jumping up and down it was like it’s more than just a job to
them. You could tell.”
The COVID-19 patient recovery celebrations are now available to any COVID-19
patient who would like one at Kaweah Delta. Patients can select one of
the following songs to be played as they are discharged from Kaweah Delta:
- Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
- Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
- Happy – Pharrell
- Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
- Vivir Mi Vida – Marc Anthony (SPANISH)
- Cielito Lindo – Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan (SPANISH)
- Buenos Dias Señor Sol – Juan Gabriel (SPANISH)
Warren Gaines chose “Don’t Stop Believin’” because
it was his wife’s favorite song.
Gaines was admitted to Kaweah Delta on April 1 after he came to the emergency
department with symptoms of COVID-19; he was excessively tired and had
a fever that wouldn’t go away. Gaines was diagnosed with pneumonia
and COVID-19 then admitted to Kaweah Delta where he also eventually suffered
a stroke. Doctors have noticed a trend that COVID-19 has been shown to
cause development of small blood clots that can cause a stroke.
“The nurse who found me saved me,” Gaines said. “All
I remember is them taking me to ICU.”
Gaines says although the stroke was unexpected, he was lucky to have it
in the hospital. Within two hours, he was given clot-busting medication
at Kaweah Delta, a leader in stroke care that is designated by The Joint
Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. When patients have a
stroke or a stroke-like attack and come to Kaweah Delta, doctors, nurses
and staff are following the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines
for treating stroke patients, according to The Joint Commission. In honor
of May, National Stroke Awareness Month, Gaines asked people to make sure
they go to their doctors for regular check-ups.
“Just go. You don’t want this,” said Gaines, who after
being discharged from the hospital still had numbness in his face and
was unable to lift his left arm. However, a day after being discharged
he was suddenly able to move his left foot.
“I had to fight for my family. I had to,” Gaines said. “I’m
going to fight every day.”
Dr. Samuel Matsuo, Jr., who cared for Gaines while he was at Kaweah Delta’s
Rehabilitation Hospital, said Gaines should serve as inspiration to others.
“It’s not every day you get to see a case like his where he’s
worked so hard and come so far. He was up against a lot,” he said.
“Not only did he have COVID-19, but he had a stroke. We’ve
had other patients who have come through with strokes and worked very
hard and they can achieve these good results if they put in the time and
the work. With healthcare and the fighting spirit a lot of things can
be done.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,
stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability
in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40
seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and nearly 800,000
people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
To spot stroke signs, people should refer to the letters in “FAST”
and know when to call 9-1-1:
F: Face Drooping
A: Arm Weakness
S: Speech Difficulty
T: Time to Call 911
Kaweah Delta shares COVID-19 information and regular updates with the community
on its website at
www.kaweahdelta.org/COVID19 and on its social media accounts.