GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Chad Kauffman was trapped under a pile of rubble. He tried to scream but no words came out.

It was only a dream. But reality was bad: he was under medical sedation with a tube down his trachea funneling air to and from his lungs.

Kauffman is among a growing number of coronavirus COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the respiratory disease after requiring critical care to survive.

His recovery marks a first, though, for Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids, as Kauffman is the first critical care patient to be discharged from there.

Healthcare workers at the hospital lined the halls Wednesday, April 8, and greeted the 40-year-old Kentwood resident with fanfare as he was wheeled out for discharge.

Mercy Health posted a video capturing the moment on Facebook, and it has been watched so far about 73,000 times. Mercy Health declined to share how many others are currently receiving critical care at the hospital for COVID-19.

Kauffman said he was glad that those who helped him, and others were able to see a critical care recovery.

“I know they work hard and see few or very little results sometimes,” he said.

Kauffman fell ill with what he thought was a bad head cold in early March. His symptoms worsened about two weeks later, and by March 19 or so he was hospitalized.

“I said, ‘Goodbye,’ to everybody,” he recalled of leaving home for the hospital. “You just say, ‘Goodbye,’ and you don’t know if you’re going to be returning home at some point or not.”

Kauffman doesn’t remember a good chunk of the three or so weeks that he was hospitalized with the disease. He was medically sedated for about a week, and then it took about three to four days to come out of the fog.

The most frightening part of the experience was not being able to have his wife, Johana Kauffman, by his side, he said.

Most hospitals are not allowing non-essential visitors in an effort to save personal protective gear for workers and stop the further spread of coronavirus.

Johana and Chad Kauffman (Courtesy Photo | Johana Kauffman)

As he was being sedated, he said he was comforted by a nurse who held his hand.

In the time he was awake, Chad Kauffman was able to talk with his wife via phone. Johana Kauffman contracted the virus as well but had a mild case that did not require hospitalization.

“Always believe in the power of prayer,” Chad Kauffman said. “Always be open and willing to give those prayers if needed.”

He warned people to take the disease and the government’s social distancing rules seriously. He wants people to think before posting something dubious about coronavirus on social media.

Mercy Health officials said they are inspired by Chad Kauffman’s story.

“We are inspired by the hope and resilience of our patients, particularly with this recovery story,” Mercy Health said in a statement.

“It’s our mission to be a compassionate and transforming healing presence within our communities, and we are honored to serve throughout this pandemic. We pray for all of the health care workers, patients and their families, for their health and wellbeing.”

On Thursday, state health officials reported that 1,076 people in Michigan have died from the virus. Michigan has 21,504 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. In Kent County, there were a total of nine deaths and 233 cases.

CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.