At this time last year, the first effects of the novel coronavirus were just beginning to be felt in the United States; few could have imagined the country would still be in the grip of a full-on pandemic a full year later.

The first COVID-19 patient at UConn John Dempsey Hospital arrived on March 14, 2020, and would soon be followed by many more. Jeff Martindale was part of that early wave of patients.

Martindale, 47, of Farmington, arrived by ambulance at Dempsey Hospital with a 102-degree fever and trouble breathing. Almost immediately, he was moved into the intensive care unit (ICU) and put on a ventilator.

Doctors and nurses suited up in protective equipment and tended to him around the clock. They turned him onto his stomach to “prone” him, which helps a patient to oxygenate, and closely monitored him. But Martindale’s condition continued to deteriorate. He developed double pneumonia, his blood pressure soared, and he struggled to breathe.

“I was there when we put him on life support,” says Suzanne Paranzino, RN, ICU Nurse. “He was one of the first cases we had and I’ll never forget him.”

Then, after about 10 days on a ventilator, there came a turning point. Martindale got to hear his wife’s voice. By the next day, he was breathing better, his fever was getting better, and his blood pressure was going down. A few days later he was taken off the ventilator.

After 21 days in the hospital, Martindale wanted to go home to recover rather than to a rehabilitation facility, so he was given goals he had to reach to make that happen. He jumped in with both feet and, through determination and will, reached those goals.  On April 16, he left the hospital to a fanfare of cheers and tears as he passed through the halls and out to meet his wife, Chandra, who he had not seen in 44 days.  He was the first COVID-19 patient to leave UConn John Dempsey Hospital after being on a ventilator.

“When I left the hospital, it was a totally different world, and I was a different person,” says Martindale.

His body wasn’t the same, and he was shocked by the changes and an inability to do the things he used to. At home, Martindale had nursing and physical therapy visits to help him get back on his feet.

“You really feel so vulnerable when nothing is working right,” says Martindale.

Then came the moment when Martindale realized he had almost died.

“One day I was a healthy 47-year-old, then it all happened so suddenly. I don’t even remember getting in the ambulance,” Martindale explains. “The finality of it stays with me. There was no moment to say goodbye.”

Having always focused on his physical health, like many he neglected his emotional health. Suffering from some post-traumatic stress from the experience, he started to see a therapist to help with him the mental aspect of his overall health. If this experience produced anything positive, it’s that Martindale has been able to focus on his mental health and grow exponentially as a result, he says.

“We’re so happy to hear that Jeff is doing well and is spending time with his family,” says Yara Mendez, Assistant Nurse Manager-ICU.

Martindale has since recovered his strength sufficiently to return to work – remotely, along with many of his coworkers, and millions of other Americans working from home during the pandemic.

There have been some minor residual physical issues, and his cardiologist is monitoring any changes to his heart. His throat is still affected by the ventilator, his voice is a bit scratchy, and he has to drink a lot of water.

The experience has made him focus on his overall health: he is eating better and drinking more water, wearing a Fitbit to check his heart rate, doing deep breathing exercises, and using resistance bands to increase his strength.

Reflecting on his experience, Martindale was particularly moved by the bravery of the nurses who stepped forward when asked to treat the hospital’s first COVID patients, at a time when so little was known about the deadly virus.

“I will never forget the people who saved my life at UConn. It’s a miracle I am alive,” says Martindale.  “I can’t wait to go back and see everyone at the hospital when we are able to do so.”