A father-of-two survived coronavirus, double pneumonia, sepsis, heart failure and two strokes before walking out of hospital in time for his son’s second birthday.
Emotional videos show Omar Taylor, 31, being applauded as he was discharged after spending 30 days on a ventilator and losing the power of speech.
The healthcare company executive made a miraculous recovery at Colchester Hospital after staff had told his family to prepare for the worst.
Despite losing the use of his right arm and being told he would never walk again, he was able to leave hospital on foot to applause from nurses.
And as he arrived back home at Rowhedge, Colchester, his neighbours lined the streets to wave Union flags and clap.
Omar Taylor, in wheelchair, is visited in hospital for the first time in six weeks by his wife Kaitlyn and children Vivienne, four, and Harrison, who is almost two
Emotional videos show Omar Taylor, 31, being applauded as he was discharged after spending 30 days on a ventilator and losing the power of speech
Mr Taylor was allowed to see his family in hospital after his condition improved and he finally tested negative for coronavirus
Left to right: Vivienne Taylor, four, Omar Taylor, 31, Kaitlyn Taylor, 30, and Harrison Taylor, one
His wife, student nurse Kaitlyn Taylor, 30, told MailOnline: ‘First we were told he was going to die, then we were told he would never be able to walk. His recovery is an absolute miracle.
‘It was utterly overwhelming. He was determined to get out in time for our son’s second birthday and he did it. We’re going to have a really big party, just the four of us. It was amazing seeing everyone coming together to welcome him home.’
Mr Taylor, a regional director for healthcare company Care UK, is now receiving 12 weeks of intensive rehabilitation at home and has already recovered some of his speech, being able to speak two to three words at a time.
His right arm remains paralysed but doctors are confident that with continuous treatment, there is a chance that he will make a 90 per cent recovery by the end of the year.
‘It has been so difficult, particularly with two young children,’ Mrs Taylor said. ‘Harrison, who is two next week, didn’t understand and was scared of his dad for the first couple of hours after he came back.
‘But Vivienne, our four-year-old, is a proper daddy’s girl and hasn’t left his side since he’s been home. She’s been helping him to the toilet and the shower and she’s just so, so happy that he’s home.
‘In total, he was away for eight weeks. That’s not so long for an adult, but for children it seems like forever. They didn’t think he was ever coming back.’
She added: ‘This has been everyone’s worst nightmare. But the support we have received has been overwhelming.’
Mr Taylor was applauded as he was discharged from Colchester Hospital, leaving on foot despite being told he would never walk again
Mr Taylor, left, is visited by his daughter Vivienne, right,and her stuffed animal Cutie, centre
Mr and Mrs Taylor on their wedding day in 2010, left, and posing outside the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai in 2012, right
Mr and Mrs Taylor have been married for 10 years and have lived in Dubai and the United States. They met on holiday in Mexico in 2009 and married a year later
Mr Taylor’s mother flew over from the United States to help, and relatives and friends clubbed together to raise £15,000 to cover essential expenses while the couple are unable to work, as well as rehabilitation costs.
‘Omar can’t speak properly but I know he would love to give a big thank you to everyone who has helped us, from friends to frontline staff,’ Mrs Taylor said.
Their ordeal began on 19 March when after weeks of self-isolating, Mr Taylor was rushed to Accident and Emergency with breathing difficulties.
He had a pre-existing condition of ulcerative colitis, which is a bowel disorder, for which he was taking longterm steroids and amino suppressants.
Doctors believe that this underlying condition is what caused his immune system to be compromised by coronavirus.
After four days in hospital, his condition deteriorated and he was moved to intensive care and put on a ventilator.
The Taylor family relax at home in their garden in the village of Rowhedge, Essex
Mr Taylor with Vivienne, Kaitlyn and Harrison as he is discharged from Colchester hospital
‘Omar was struggling to breathe for three days, even though he was being given the highest possible amount of oxygen through a mask,’ Mrs Taylor said.
‘Then one day I received a call from the hospital at 4:45am telling me to prepare for the worst. They had decided to intubate him and put him in an induced coma.
‘I had to look at my four-year old and my two-year old and think about how I would tell them that their father was dying.’
After several days, however, his condition stabilised and nurses began to wean him off sedation. That was when they noticed that he was unable to move his right arm.
‘They took him for a CT scan while he was still on a ventilator,’ Mrs Taylor recalled. ‘It took seven staff four hours to get it done and they found that he had suffered a double stroke.’
On 18 April, a month after he had been admitted, Mr Taylor was moved out of intensive care and into a stroke unit. Shortly afterwards, he tested negative for coronavirus and his family was allowed to visit him for the first time in six weeks.
‘It was so emotional,’ Mrs Taylor said. ‘He was in a wheelchair and we met him out in the open air. Before then, when we spoke to him on videocall, he had a blank stare and we didn’t even know if he could recognise us.
‘It was as if he was looking through us. But when we saw him, he was smiling and able to put his arm around the children. It was the first time in six weeks that he had seen someone who wasn’t wearing PPE, let alone his family. It was magical.’
Three weeks later, Mr Taylor was discharged to a hero’s welcome after making a stunning recovery. ‘There’s a long road ahead and it will be a difficult time for us all,’ Mrs Taylor said. ‘But we’re so lucky that my husband is alive.’
To support the Taylor family as Omar battles to recover, visit their GoFundMe page