Antwaun Dunnigan, who along with his wife and then his entire family was diagnosed with the virus, has a sobering and stark message for those who don’t believe the virus is real or see the need to get vaccinated.
Dunnigan will be reunited with his physician, “An angel who saved my life.”
It wasn’t the summer Antwaun Dunnigan of Kansas City, Missouri, had planned on for his family.
On July 24, his wife called 9-1-1 because her 39-year-old husband, who had not received the COVID vaccine, was having difficulty breathing and plagued by weakness that had progressed rapidly over the course of several days. Arriving at Research Medical Center’s ER by transport, Dunnigan — whose symptoms put him at high risk for respiratory failure — described chest pain, heightening ER physicians’ concern for pulmonary embolism, which is a common complication of COVID that can be life threatening.
Antwaun, a healthy, young security guard, who had no significant previous medical history, was admitted to Research Medical Center’s ICU and diagnosed with COVID, along with a pneumonia. He was placed on a mechanical ventilator, with a highly specialized COVID care team closely monitoring his respiratory status.
“Some patients with COVID require supplemental oxygen for very long periods of time — weeks to even months — necessitating prolonged hospitalizations and preventing a return to normal life,” says Research Medical Center Board-Certified Infectious Disease Medical Director David McKinsey. “We’ve seen patients experiencing the situation Mr. Dunnigan was in as having the potential for a very long recovery time to regain strength and conditioning, and to feel well enough to return to work. It’s a miracle he was discharged only five days after being admitted.”
Dunnigan, who was released from Research Medical Center on July 28, is “blessed.” And he knows his entire family — including four children from the young age of three through 14 — are blessed, too. He knows it could have been much worse.
“COVID is real and getting vaccinated is a real choice you should take, I know that now,” Dunnigan says. “I received the absolute best, most compassionate care at Research Medical Center during the loneliest and most frightening days I’ve had. Each hand and mind and heart of those physicians and nurses helped me heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. They were truly angels. My strong faith helped me, too. I cannot speak enough about the importance of taking this virus seriously and getting vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, your friends, and the community. Waiting to be vaccinated is one of my biggest regrets.”