Dr. Karl Viddal, a family physician, was hospitalized for nearly two months with COVID-19. He was in a medically induced coma for 28 days and spent more than 30 days on a ventilator.
He was fighting for his life and lost a lot of his lung function.
When he was coming out of his coma, he was paralyzed and couldn’t even speak. He received treatment with an ECMO machine, which helped save is lung function.
Thankfully, Dr. Viddal fully recovered and now he is hiking Camelback Mountain in Phoenix with the very same doctors who helped save his life. The group of doctors hiked up Echo Canyon Trail, one of the most difficult trails on the mountain.
As Dr. Viddal is making his journey back to full health, he is showing is support and thanking the doctors who cared for him. He also wants to show others just how much a COVID-19 survivor can achieve, despite everything he had been through.
“Karl’s story of perseverance and survival is a beacon of hope for all of those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ross Bremner, MD, director of Norton Thoracic Institute, told AZ Family. “It is gratifying to see he has returned to work and that he is continuing to push toward his goals. He’s become somewhat of an inspiration for some of our patients.”
Hear more of Dr. Viddal’s inspiring story in the video below: