A Hazelton resident believes he is meant to raise awareness about COVID-19 after his near-death experience.
From his hospital bed to the comforts of home, Harry Good has documented his health ordeal by video, capturing the views of thousands on Facebook.
“You take your worst flu and you add it by thousands, and that’s how bad it gets,” Harry Good, 45, said.
Good was discharged Dec. 1 from hospital in Prince George where he spent five days on life support.
Today, nearly every day is a battle as he works to complete small exercises to strengthen his lung capacity and build muscle mass.
Good estimates he is now 185 pounds compared to before he was admitted to hospital Nov 12. when he was around 220 pounds.
He believes he caught the novel coronavirus after forgetting to wash his hands at a fast-food restaurant following grocery shopping in Smithers.
His girlfriend and three children, as well as his boss at a mechanic shop and his wife also all tested positive for COVID-19.
“My girlfriend and I can’t go a day without crying or feeling appreciative of each other because when I was in there, I was so scared for her, my son, and my kids for them to end up the way I ended up,” he said.
“I just really didn’t want that, so I’m glad that they were able to fight it off at home.”
Good, who described himself as active and healthy, thought it was only pneumonia he had at first.
He’d spend 12-hours working in-camp doing labour for two weeks and is in his second-year apprenticeship as an automotive mechanic.
Before getting sick he had even gone on a moose hunting trip and was able to remove its two legs and ribs without any help.
“My lungs still feel like they’re not fully recovered yet, so I still get out of breath quite a bit,” Good said.
COVID-19 has not only been physically tricky for Good, but emotionally hard as well.
Good now struggles with anxiety at grocery stores to the point he has to leave.
He said it is difficult to hold back tears thinking of the moment before he was intubated if it would be the last memory he would leave his 16-year-old son and girlfriend with whom he was able to speak.
When he awoke, he said for three days he fought back, falling asleep.
“It was just too scary to close my eyes again, thinking that you don’t open them up again,” he said.
As Good’s health made a turn for the better, he struggled with not having his family by his side to support him as visitors were prohibited.
He called it an emotional day leaving the hospital as he’d stop at least four times to catch his breath while making his way from the facility to his girlfriend’s vehicle.
“The hospital itself is pretty mentally draining, and just getting out of there lifted a weight off my shoulders,” he said.
Good has launched 50/50 draws to stay on top of bills until he can return to work, which he hopes will be sometime within the new year.
He said he will continue to upload Facebook videos of his recovery.
“I want them to be shared as much as possible just so everybody can see all sides of what COVID-19 does —the bad, the ugly and the good."
