A man has defied all odds and walked from Westmead Hospital’s COVID-19 ward, after a gruelling 399 day admission.
Staff clapped 69-year-old David Avila Mellado as he left the hospital he has called home for over a year.
After being admitted in July 2020, suffering from COVID-19, Mr Avila Mellado spent seven weeks in intensive care before eventually being well enough to be transferred to the respiratory observation unit in September last year.
With the help of the medical, nursing, physiotherapy and speech pathology teams, he slowly regained his strength as part of his long recovery.
His tracheostomy tube was finally successfully taken out on August 10, after more than a year of being unable to breathe independently or talk.
Finally, after 399 days, he was able to go home, where he will continue his rehabilitation.
Mr Avila Mellado thanked everyone for their care and said staff had become like family to him.
“Thank you very much everybody working here [who] heal me a lot,” he said.
“I feel like [this is] my family in the hospital because it’s a very long wait and stay here.
“I have in my heart everybody I remember.”
Respiratory observation nurse unit manager Trudy Darling said the staff were extremely proud to see him overcome the odds.
“All the staff felt he was very much part of our family and we loved caring for him,” she said.
“We miss him and it’s sad to see him go, but he needs to get back to his family.
“We’re very pleased to get him going in the right direction and we all wish David and his family all the best.”
As he left hospital, Mr Avila Mellado made an impassioned plea for people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and prevent them from ending up in hospital.
“Many people, they don’t want the vaccine, they don’t trust about [COVID-19]. But it’s real. It’s real. So they have to understand, they have to get the vaccine, they have to help the other people too,” he said.
“My recommendation and the final idea is tell the people; don’t wait.
“Try to get the vaccine as soon as possible.”
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.