Captain Rudd Is On The Road To Recovery
GLENN HEIGHTS – As I talked to Glenn Heights Fire Captain Justin Rudd, he sounded better than he probably had in days. His spirits were good.
Rudd is in a North Dallas rehab waiting to go home and “improving each day,” he said – from COVID-19.
The Fire Captain had contracted COVID-19 after being exposed while at work.
Rudd first noticed symptoms of the Coronavirus on July 4 after what he said was “a very long shift.”
It was not until July 15 however, that the Fire Captain was transported to Charlton Methodist for difficulty breathing.
At first Rudd said he was concerned he might have passed the virus on to other crew members or even his wife and children.
Rudd Credits Aggressive Treatment With His Recovery
“Once my test came back positive, I started the look for a doctor that would treat me aggressively,” Rudd explained. “That was a huge challenge. After several days I was starting to have trouble breathing. I was finally able to find a doctor to treat me and I credit him with keeping me off a ventilator by the aggressive treatment he started immediately. The unfortunate thing was by the time the treatment began, COVID-19 had already settled into my lungs.”
There were some wins for the 16-year Glenn Heights Fire Department Captain. He said “being cared for by my brothers really helped me mentally deal with what was going on. I was treated at Charlton for eight days until I was transferred to rehab late last week.”
He added “The support I received on the day I was as transferred to rehab was beyond amazing as my Chief had arranged for my crew and family to see me off,” Rudd said.
In fact, it brought the 40-year-old to tears.
Rudd said he had no underlying conditions when he was diagnosed with COVID-19. At this time however, he does have scarring to his lungs, and he knows that will take some time to recover.
My Crew Is Family
“I will be pushing each day to recover as fast as possible,” he added. “The way the department has helped my family and myself has been nothing short of amazing. While I was in the hospital, I had an emergency with my house. The very next morning my wife called to tell me that my crew had come and fixed it. These guys are more than coworkers they are family.”
Glenn Heights Fire Chief Keith Moore wrote of Rudd’s COVID-19 incident on Facebook “As a Fire Chief, the care of my team is of the most importance. When one of our own is down, our family always rally’s around each other. I am honored to serve alongside my team. We have shown to be quick to respond to family needs, support spouses, and show love through acts of service.”
Rudd certainly agrees and concluded with one reminder to all “If you test positive, please find a doctor you trust before the option is out of your hands. COVID-19 virus is a fight in which each day counts.”
