Yuma firefighter coming home after long battle with COVID-19

Brad Henderson was hospitalized since early October

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - A Yuma firefighter who nearly lost his life to COVID-19 was discharged from a Phoenix area hospital today.

52-year-old Brad Henderson was met with cheerful applause surrounded by his wife and one of his sons and his fellow Yuma firefighters, all there to congratulate him on his recovery.

Henderson, a father of two, and a 20-year fire department veteran was admitted to Yuma Regional Medical Center all the way back in October. 

Eventually, he had to be airlifted to Phoenix where he was put on a ventilator and a device called an ECMO that takes over the job of the heart.

His wife Shannon says he was asleep from October 17th to December 11th, a total of 55 days. 

Henderson thanked all of those who cared for him including the ones he never met, for getting him to where he is today.

“The only time I want to come back is when I’m able to walk so I can come back and show the therapists what their work did to help me," Henderson said.

While he is finally able to go home, Henderson says he will have to continue to rehab to get his lungs back to full capacity. 

He said he is most looking forward to sitting in his lazy-boy chair with his dog.