HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The truth is sometimes sharing the hardest experiences in our lives can help someone else. The hope of a new series of videos is to reach as many many people as possible whose lives were ravaged by COVID-19.
So many pictures and videos of Ashley and Steven Luther show a couple ready for a new adventure, in good spirits, in perfect health. A day in August changed their world.
After being diagnosed with COVID, Steve was taken to the hospital where complications over months lead to kidney failure twice, collapsed lungs, ten blood transfusions, and a weight loss of more than 60 pounds.
"Sepsis, seizures, anemia, it was infection ravaging his body," said Ashley. "When they put him on a ventilator, they gave him less than 20% chance for survival. I told them they didn't know my husband. They didn't know my God. They needed to be ready to see a miracle."
After 129 days in hospitals, Steve is out and able to tell his own story.
"They said on the remote chance I made it, I'd be a vegetable the rest of my life," Steve said. "Just shows you they don't know everything."
When Steve was first released in January, he could barely stand. This is a new day.
"I want it to feel like there's some effort there," said Dr. Jason Hulme of Active Spine and Joint Center, handing Steve various weights.
"129 days is a substantial amount of muscle loss," said Hulme. "There's a big rebuilding process that happens. A lot of muscle atrophy occurs. We've got a lot of work to do."
The guys have decided to take people on that journey with them. On the Active Spine and Joint Center Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram pages is a new video series documenting Steve's progress. The series is called Rebuilding Steve.
"People will come up to me I've never met and tell me I've restored their faith," said Steve. "If my story will help somebody, it wasn't for no reason. I hope it gives hope to people."
