Cathy Dobson
Bert Hoogendam was one of the first people in Sarnia hospitalized with COVID-19.
Now, after a long and difficult eight-month battle, he’s urging others to take the virus seriously.
“People lose their lives to this. Whoever downplays it should know— it’s real and it’s a really nasty thing,” says Hoogendam, 85.
Though he beat COVID-19 he is back in hospital again, still dealing with its complications
Hoogendam was an insurance broker in Sarnia for 35 years and this spring remained an active Rotarian and member of an all-male Christian choir.
But before the pandemic was declared and the lockdown ordered, he had coffee and shared a few meals with a group from his church that had visited Portugal.
As it turned out, several of his friends also contracted COVID-19, although exactly how Hoogendam got it is unknown, said his daughter Sue Clark.
“He got a cold that wouldn’t go away,” she said. “When his breathing began sounding like a little train I told him he had to call the doctor.”
Clark visited her dad on March 24 and found him very ill. “I touched his head. He was so hot,” she said.
She took him to Bluewater Health, and soon he was hooked up to a ventilator in the intensive care unit.
“I was told not to go back to his house and that I had to quarantine. I remember still hoping it was pneumonia, not COVID,” Clark said.
Hoogendam tested positive. He remained in the ICU for 16 days, fighting for his life. He doesn’t remember much of that, but his daughter said things were touch and go.
“The hospital arranged a video call and had me say goodbye. We were geared for the worst.”
On the 16th day, Clark was allowed into the hospital to be present when the breathing tube was removed.
“They told me he had a 50/50 chance of breathing on his own and making it,” she said.
Hoogendam was determined to get better, he said.
“That’s what got me through it, and the good care and really good people at Bluewater Health. You just don’t give up.”
He was moved to a medical ward, then to rehab 10 weeks after being admitted. Hoogendam spent 128 days in hospital, including eight weeks regaining the strength to walk.
Moving home, where he had lived alone after wife Fran died last year, wasn’t possible. So the family found an assisted living facility.
“The day he left the hospital, the staff lined up in the hallway and were clapping for him,” said Clark. “It was a big victory that needed to be celebrated.”
But lung damage from the intubation landed him back in Petrolia’s CEE hospital on Sept. 10 for two more months. There, he contracted another infection and had to fight that off with rounds of antibiotics.
On Nov. 20, Hoogendam was transferred to Bluewater Health in Sarnia where he continues to rehab.
He said he feels much better now, but still depends on a walker.
“As much as we didn’t want to, we had to sell dad’s house where he lived for 48 years because he can’t be there alone,” said Clark, who is one of four children.
“He’s doing well now and he’s stayed positive through it all but it’s a miracle he’s alive. COVID-19 is definitely not something to fluff off. Please, wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance.
“Be cautious. Be smart. Take care of yourself.”
Most people who get sick with COVID-19 experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.
But for some it’s a killer, Clark said.
“Yes, he’s negative and made it through the worst part but his lungs are damaged and he needs a walker. Anti-mask protests just infuriate me.”
Hoogendam, a Dutch immigrant who moved to Sarnia 58 years ago, said he’s grateful for the care he’s getting and the family and friends who call often.
“Ever so slowly, I feel there’s progress,” he said.