20 | NOVEMBER 19 • 2020 

I

f statistics were predictive, 
Harve Disner would not be 
here to tell his tale of recov-
ery from COVID-19.
Harve (pronounced 
“Harvey”) had more than one 
or two pre-existing conditions 
that could have made him like-
ly to succumb to the dreaded 
disease. He was 77 years old 
and overweight. He’
s diabetic. 
He’
d had a triple heart bypass 
surgery in 2016.
But Harve is back at his 
Commerce Township home 
after a grueling seven months 
in hospitals and rehab facilities.
“He’
s the guy who by all 
means should not have made 
it through,
” said his wife, Judy, 
who recovered from a very 
mild case of COVID that start-
ed at around the same time.
Harve started feeling sick 
on Sunday, March 22, as the 
virus was beginning to spike in 

Michigan. It was just a cough, 
which subsided a bit a day later, 
and a fever that was controlled 
with Tylenol. But by the follow-
ing Friday he was very weak 
and starting to have breathing 
problems. His wife called 911, 
and an ambulance took him to 
Huron Valley Sinai Hospital in 
Commerce.
“They immediately assumed 
it was COVID-19, though it 
took about 10 days to confirm,
” 
said Judy.
On April 4, Harve was put 
on a ventilator, which helped 
him breathe for seven weeks. 
A few weeks later, he had a tra-
cheotomy, so a breathing tube 
could be inserted in his throat. 
Harve was in a coma for much 
of the first months of his ordeal 
and, when he was partially 
aware, he had hallucinations. 
He doesn’
t remember anything 
about those weeks.

At the end of May, he was 
moved to Select Specialty, a 
unit within St. Joseph Hospital 
in Pontiac that specializes in 
weaning people from respira-
tors. 
Harve battled for two 
months alone. In early June, 
Judy was finally able to be at 
his side.
“June 20 was his first day off 
the vent, and on July 21 they 
removed the trach tube,
” said 
Judy.
On July 30, Harve was 
moved to a rehabilitation facil-
ity.
“He lasted 90 minutes,
” said 
Judy. “They sent him back to 
Huron Valley Sinai.
”
Two days later, he suffered 

a cardiac arrest; six minutes 
of CPR got his heart beating 
again, but he went back on a 
ventilator for six days.
“Through all this, he had 
several episodes of pneumonia 
and double pneumonia, one 
infection after another,
” said 
Judy.
After he regained conscious-
ness, Harve told his wife several 
times that he just wanted to 
die. Before she’
d leave him at 
the end of the day, she’
d ask 
if he really meant it. And he’
d 
say, “Nope, I’
m not ready to die 
yet.
”
“My wife never missed a day 
at the hospital or rehab facility,
” 
said Harve. “She stayed as long 
as they let her every day — and 

IN 
THED
JEWS

Home
atLast!

COVID patient returns home after 
seven months in hospital and rehab.

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DISNER FAMILY

Harve came

home to this

colorful welcome.

continued on page 22

At a celebration prior 
to Harve’
s illness are 
Judy Disner; Judy’
s 
sister and brother-in-
law, Tammy and Craig 
Skulsky; Harve Disner; 
and Judy’
s sister 
Michelle Shafir.

