COVID-19 patient released from VA Medical Center after 50 days

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A local veteran who came back from the brink of death was released from the VA Medical Center Tuesday, May 5.

Cheers in the hospital hallway were for Arvin McCray, an Army veteran who was hospitalized for 50 days with COVID-19.

His sister was abou to take McCray to his mother's house, when suddenly she realized how sick he was. 

"I looked at him and I said, are you OK? And then I touched him and I could feel the heat and I said we're going to the hospoital," Kathy McCray said. 

"Fifty-year-old man, used to being able to do whatever I could do. At this point, I couldn't even lift my legs up," Arvin said.

When McCray got to the VA Center, doctors say they didn't expect him to survive.

He was sedated on a ventilator for 18 days and his organs were failing. 

But McCray rallied, and with the help of the medical team, he was able to go home Tuesday. 

One of his doctors says McCray's recovery inspires hope.

"We've never seen anything like this before," said Dr. Sarah Nickoloff. "It's terrifying, and the patients are so, so sick, and so to have this success, it really means a lot to our staff."

Someone asked McCray what he'll do when he gets home and he said he's going to get some "real food."