Man With Down Syndrome Hugs Mom After Beating the CCP Virus: ‘An Amazing Recovery’

Man With Down Syndrome Hugs Mom After Beating the CCP Virus: ‘An Amazing Recovery’
(Courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)
4/22/2020
Updated:
4/30/2020
A young man with Down syndrome who was given just 24 hours to live after contracting the CCP virus survived against the odds. Upon his release from the hospital, jubilant medical staff led him straight into the arms of his mother for an emotional reunion.

Thirty-four-year-old Ben McCafferty was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary in West Yorkshire on April 6, 2020. Ben’s stepfather, Neil Margerison, said he didn’t expect his son to survive the ordeal.

“[W]e didn’t expect him to survive. We were told the survival rate was going to be very low,” said Neil in a video recorded by Karen Dawber, Head of Nursing at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.
(Video courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)

Fearing the worst, Ben was transferred to the palliative care ward. However, with high-quality medical care and the support of a crack team of staff, Ben started to recover. After almost two weeks in the hospital, Ben’s parents received the news they had been hoping for: Ben was well enough to return home.

On April 18, Neil walked Ben down the hospital corridor to be reunited with his mother, Diane Margerison. She had adopted Ben when he was just 3 months old, and the pair share an extremely close bond.

(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk/">Bradford Teaching Hospitals</a>)
(Courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)
The touching reunion between mother and son was caught on camera by Dawber. In footage of the reunion, when Ben and Diane spot one another, Ben advances toward his mom with a quickened pace. The pair embrace.

Ben’s mom jokes with her son after they loosen their embrace, asking, “Who are you?” Ben replies, “a handsome man,” and the corridor erupts in laughter.

The tight-knit mother and son had kept in touch via WhatsApp, but Diane nonetheless described their in-person reunion as “overwhelming,” reported The Yorkshire Evening Post.
(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk/">Bradford Teaching Hospitals</a>)
(Courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)

Diane had been able to accompany her son on his first night at Bradford Royal Infirmary but had had to leave shortly thereafter; lockdown restrictions prohibited visitors from coming and going. Instead, Neil slept on a camp bed by Ben’s side for the duration of his treatment.

Dawber described Neil as “a saint” for his dedication to his stepson’s welfare. “We saw [Ben] start to get better,” Dawber told the UK-based outlet. “He was being looked after on our end of life ward. He was laughing and joking with the nurses.”

Ben McCafferty (L) with his stepfather, Neil Margerison. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk/">Bradford Teaching Hospitals</a>)
Ben McCafferty (L) with his stepfather, Neil Margerison. (Courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)

Ben and his parents received a hearty round of applause as they left the hospital arm in arm. The hospital’s local Morrisons supermarket even donated presents and a helium balloon to make Ben’s leaving ceremony as special as possible. Back at home in Thornton, Bradford, Diane reflected upon her son’s recovery and voiced immense gratitude to the NHS staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary, maintaining that the sterling care her son received at the hospital saved his life.

“I didn’t think he would make it,” Diane told The Yorkshire Evening Post. “It was the longest we had ever been apart.”

“People can still recover,” she added, urging people isolating at home to hold on to faith and hope. “Ben proves that.”

Watch the touching reunion in the video below:

(Video courtesy of Bradford Teaching Hospitals)
Louise Chambers is a writer, born and raised in London, England. She covers inspiring news and human interest stories.
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