It was March 7 when Rodrigo Saval, the first coronavirus patient in New York, was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital after being infected with the deadly virus.
WNBC reported that the total number of cases in the state was 76 at the time.
Rodrigo, who’s a marathon runner athlete from Chile, spent half of his time in the hospital on a ventilator and there were a number of occasions when his chances of survival were extremely slim.
But he did not give up. Finally, his dedication and his will to live succeeded, and he was released from the hospital last Wednesday.
The emotional moment when Rodrigo rolled out of the hospital on a decorated wheelchair was recorded on camera.
The hospital staff was seen cheering him up and clapping for him in the hallways of the healthcare facility as he passed by them.
More doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff were present outside the hospital to celebrate his recovery.
A spokesperson of Mount Sinai Hospital told PEOPLE that because of being the first one to recover from corona, Rodrigo had a special place in the hearts of the hospital staff.
“He meant a lot to all of the staff,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE. “Hundreds of people cared for him and his release meant a great deal to our hardworking nurses and doctors.”
The ICU Nurse Manager at the hospital, Jennie Drexler, showed similar sentiments in a statement to WNBC.
She told the outlet: “I think we needed this win and it’s such a blessing to see. He’s our personal mascot almost!”
In an interview with WNBC, Rodrigo recollected that he didn’t remember most of the time he spent at the hospital other than the nightmares he experienced there.
“It wanted to kill me,” he remembered. “I was running all over the place and trying to hide, so it wouldn’t get me. That’s the only thing I remember.”
Rodrigo further told WNBC that he wants to live in New York City for some more time.
He said that he’d only go back home to Chile to see his family when he has fully recovered, and the doctors advise him to travel.
Rodrigo is also the 500th coronavirus patient from Mount Sinai hospital who has recovered from coronavirus, reported WNBC.
As of now, 1.21 million confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the US and 69,680 people have died from the disease.
The state of New York has 319,000 confirmed cases and 19,415 deaths so far.
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