Evan Petzold

Special to Detroit Free Press

Kelvin Calhoun remembers waking up. He knew he was in the hospital, but everything else was hazy — until he realized:

He survived.

Calhoun, a longtime freelance camera operator, is recovering from symptoms of the coronavirus, combined with a pneumonia diagnosis that put him in a medically induced coma for more than a week of his 25-day hospital stay,

He returned to his mother’s home Sunday to see his family for the first time since March 18, when he checked himself into Beaumont Hospital in Farmington Hills.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, God, thank you. My baby is home,' " Adrina Allen, his 76-year-old mother, told the Free Press. “I don’t care if he’s in his 50s, he’s still my baby. That’s the first thing I thought, ‘Thank you, God, thank you, Jesus, for bringing my baby home.’ ”

Calhoun is one of more than 28,000 coronavirus cases in Michigan; nearly 2,000 people have died.

When he reflects on his experience, it leads back to the March 7 game between the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz at Little Caesars Arena. Hired by Olympia Entertainment to work the Jazz telecast, he was operating a handheld camera near Utah’s bench.

Two of the Jazz players he came in direct contact with — Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — eventually tested positive for the coronavirus. Gobert became the first NBA case on March 11; shortly after that was reported, NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended the season.

Calhoun, 56, believes he contracted the virus from Gobert during an interview in the locker room, before also interviewing Mitchell — who tested positive March 12 — and at least two other players.

After the game, Gobert gave his game-worm arm sleeves to two children in the arena. On March 9, he had intentionally touched reporters’ microphones and cell phones to mock the growing pandemic.

“I’m not blaming him or pointing the finger,” Calhoun said, “but after they left town, what he did with those reporters on the table, I thought was really childish of him. I wasn’t happy about that.”

On March 8, Calhoun worked the Red Wings-Lightning game at LCA for Fox Sports Sun, the Tampa station, as a handheld camera operator. He didn’t come in contact with many people, other than those at the Pistons and Red Wings events.

“Those couple of nights,” he said, “I just got done working and went home.”

Calhoun’s symptoms began about a week after Gobert had tested positive. His family and close friends suggested he go to the hospital to get evaluated.

He called it the worst day of his life.

When he arrived at the hospital on March 18, he was quickly interviewed by nurses and told to wait three to four hours for a test. He thought to himself, “Do I really want to sit here and wait or just go?” Based on the state of his health, the latter was not really an option. He stayed in his vehicle and waited it out.

A doctor took tests of his vitals and asked a few more questions. His oxygen levels were low. His blood pressure was too high. Calhoun became fearful when the doctor said: Come inside.

Before Calhoun knew it, he was wearing a mask and hospital gown. Doctors put him on a ventilator. Within a couple of hours, he was in a coma.

“It’s almost like you’re in the afterlife when you’re in there,” he said. “It’s almost like I was having thoughts or conversations, but I wasn’t sure if they were real or not.

“I’m hearing prayers. Is this real? Am I dreaming? Am I really hearing people trying to get me to wake up? What the heck. I think it was people praying for me to wake up. Whether they were coming from Cali or down the street, I believe I was hearing them.”

He feels lucky to be alive, and understands there are challenges ahead. At first, he couldn’t stand up without falling.

He is thankful for the medical staff; doctors called his mother at least every other day to give an update.

“Still a little scary,” Calhoun said. “You’re not sure if you’re going to flip back into neverland. I never expected to be there. The good thing is, once I was up and out of the coma and pneumonia, I dealt with some really good people there that served food, moved me around in my bed, moved me to the toilet I had to use.”

By April 12, Calhoun was released from the hospital. His oxygen levels were steady. Doctors provided him with oxygen to use at home, pills for his blood pressure and Tylenol to reduce his fever.

Two of his friends picked him up that evening and took him to his mother’s house in Detroit, just in time for her 76th birthday. Allen couldn’t believe her eyes.

“The last month has been really hectic and scary, just uncertain because you don’t know,” she said. “So many people didn’t make it home back to their families. It makes you nervous, keeps you with an upset stomach. He’s got a lot of strength and determination.

“You try not to think about the worst, but sometimes your mind wanders. I just put it out of my mind and said, ‘No. He’s going to be one of the people that makes it.’ I prayed on that.”

Since returning home, Calhoun said he learned his medical bills are going to be paid for by Ilitch Holdings, which includes Little Caesars Pizza, Olympia Entertainment, the Red Wings and Tigers, 313 Presents.

“That would be very helpful," Calhoun said. "It’s all going to be helpful.”

He also has received financial support from his colleagues. A GoFundMe account was established by Michael Abdella, a Fox Sports Detroit freelancer and longtime friend. It has reached $16,250, surpassing the goal of $10,000. Calhoun cried when he spoke to Abdella on the phone to express his thanks.

“I’ve never had people do stuff like this for me,” Calhoun said. “I always had to earn my way. When Mike Abdella did that, I was floored. I’m still blown away.”

Calhoun is passionate about his job and is anticipating working once sporting events return.

“Once this is all done, and he’s cleared by the doctors to go back to work, he’s going,” Allen said. “He loves his job and takes pride in it. He already said he’s looking forward to getting back to work.”

More than anything, Calhoun feels blessed to be home.

“I’m definitely happy to be out of there and back with my family,” he said. “Not just my family in the house, but my extended family. People were praying for me and pulling for me.”