JACKSON, Mich. — Friday marks a full week since JK Haehnle was released from Henry Ford Allegiance Health after testing positive for coronavirus in March.
Although he says it's taking a while to recover, he's just thankful to be alive.
"One minute I was worried about reffing basketball games, the next I was fighting for my life at the hospital," said Haehnle. "It all happened so fast."
JK Haehnle remembers feeling sick a week after reffing a MHSAA basketball game in Concord on March 11, a game that Jackson County Health Department officials say was an exposure site for coronavirus.
"I started having flu-like symptoms, I was achy all over and had a slight fever."
He tested negative for the flu at a walk-in-clinic.
But as his symptoms worsened, Haehnle's sister and mom forced him to go to the hospital on March 23.
"They saved my life because they made me go to the hospital."
Once at Henry Ford Allegiance Health, everything escalated.
"They got me in a wheelchair, they wheeled me up to the ICU and the next thing I know is that they are putting me into a coma."
But before he went under, his doctor whispered a message that keeps Haehnle fighting to this day.
"I'm so amazed by this because he knew my kid's names," Haehnle said. "The doctor named them from the top, 'Kaspar, Shea, and Padraig, if you want them to have a father you better fight like hell'."
And he did.
Three days later, Haehnle woke up from his coma and began his long road to recovery.
"They took me off the ventilator so I was constantly on oxygen and it was constantly hard to breathe," said Haehnle. "It was impossible to even move, you are hooked up to everything."
The next 14 days were long, but Haehnle used his time focusing on his future.
"The last couple of years I had some trials and tribulations, so I made a laundry list of things I needed to do to better myself as an individual, as a parent and better person."
After the fight for his life, this week, Haehnle was able to see his sons for the first time in a month.
"I watched them play basketball. I couldn't even shoot hoops with them for 5 minutes without having to lie down, so I am still recovering but I thank the lucky stars on this earth that I am talking with you because it could have been much worse."
Haehnle said he feels about 60% recovered but is forever thankful for his family, friends and the staff at Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital who is helping throughout this road to recovery.
Haehnle plans to donate plasma to help others fight the virus.
He encourages other COVID-19 survivors to do the same.
While experts say it's not a cure-all -- antibodies have shown positive potential for treating the virus.
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