'In Heaven': Local 89-Year-Old Man Is Recovering At Daughter's Home After Surviving Coronavirus Despite Diabetes, High Blood Pressure And Needing Ventilator
FAYETTE COUNTY (KDKA) -- An 89-year-old Fayette Co. man is now recovering at his daughter's home after surviving coronavirus despite having diabetes, high blood pressure and needing a ventilator.
Jim Toth has been recuperating for the last month while doing physical therapy, occupational therapy and seeing nurses.
He says he is feeling tired but thankful to be alive.
"It's like almost being in heaven, and I have an angel taking care of me," said Toth, who spoke exclusively with KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso on Tuesday. "I'm feeling great."
For 32 days, Toth was at Frick Hospital in Mt. Plesant after testing positive for coronavirus.
For most of that time, his family could not visit him.
"We really weren't sure what was going to happen," said Toth's daughter, Cathy Majka. "We were very nervous. We did a lot of praying."
Toth experienced head congestion, a cold and a fever that spiked to more than 102 degrees.
He also had pneumonia while he was battling coronavirus and went on a ventilator for five days.
Doctors gave him different medications, including hydroxychloroquine. But that was halted after three days when his organs started failing.
The family prepared to say goodbye.
"It was heart-wrenching for me," Majka said.
"The priest from my parish church was there giving me my last rites and I didn't know a thing about it," Toth said.
But things turned around and he survived.
"I was just kind of amazed. I was still alive," Toth said. "I could say something in my inner makeup that got me through this."
On April 22, he left the hospital to cheers from the staff.
And the cheering continued when he arrived at Majka'a house, where he is now recovering.
Toth, who served in the Army, is an inspiration to many.
WATCH: Jim Toth Arrives At His Daughter's Home
"I would just like to tell the hospital and everybody who took care of me what a wonderful job they did," Toth said. "I'm grateful to them that I'm still here."
Toth told KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso that he tested negative for coronavirus and has the antibodies.
He now wants to get back into his own home and see his wife, who is in a personal care home.
They have been married for nearly 60 years.
