ANTHONY: 82-YEAR-OLD CHARLIE ATKINSON IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
>> HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE REGULAR FLOOR, AND THAT FIRST NIGHT THEY SAID, WE NEED TO PUT IN A BREATHING TUBE.
IF YOU HAVE A BREATHING TUBE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FEEDING TUBE AS WELL.
ANTHONY: A MOSQUITO BITE LEFT HIM WITH A SEVERE CASE OF WEST NILE VIRUS.
>> CHARLIE WAS A REALLY HEALTHY GUY WHO GOT WEST NILE VIRUS, A RESULT IN THIS POLIO-LIKE PARALYSIS.
IF WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE CHARLIE WHO NEED A TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE BECAUSE HE CANNOT GET OFF THE VENTILATOR, HALF OF THESE PEOPLE WILL DIE.
ONLY ONE IN 10 WILL BE AT HOME AND INDEPENDENT IN A YEAR.
ANTHONY: AFTER FIVE WEEKS, CHARLIE WAS MOVED TO REHAB IN CAMBRIDGE.
THERE WAS PROGRESS, AND THERE WERE SETBACKS.
>> THE IDEA, WOULD I EVER GO HOME, WAS A FERVENT HOPE AND DISTANT DREAM, BUT NOT A POSSIBILITY.
GOING HOME WAS A CONSTANT THING.
AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO GET RIGHT BACK HERE.
ANTHONY: FOR A TIME, DOCTORS AT SPAULDING REHAB FELT CHARLEY’S PROGRESS HAD PLATO.
THEY GAVE JEANETTE THE BAD NEWS.
IT WAS TIME TO START LOOKING FOR A NURSING HOME.
>> THE ONLY ONE THAT WOULD TAKE CHARLIE WITH THE VENTILATOR AND THE NEEDS HE HAD WAS WEST OF WORCESTER.
IF HE HAD BEEN IN THAT TYPE OF LIMBO, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MUCH OF A LIFE.
>> MAYBE IT IS JUST, LOOKING AT IT NOW, THERE CERTAINLY IS A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO CALL IT QUITS.
THE IDEA OF KEEPING PEOPLE IN WAREHOUSES IN A STATE LIKE I WAS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORTH LIVING, AND I HOPE I HAD THE GUTS TO CALL IT QUITS.
ANTHONY: BUT WHEN FACED WITH THAT CHOICE -- >> THEY HAD DNR, DO NOT RESUSCITATE.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, THEORETICALLY -- I REALLY BELIEVE IN THAT, BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO MAKING A DECISION, I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT IT AND DECIDED NOT TO SIGN IT.
>> THERE WERE FOUR TIMES WHEN CHARLIE STOPPED BREATHING, TWICE AT SPAULDING AND TWICE AT HOME.
>> MODERN MEDICINE DOES HAVE INTERVENTIONS.
THERE IS A LOT AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO KEEP PEOPLE GOING, BUT HOW DO YOU INITIATE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS BEST?
>> TO KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT THING IS TO DO FOR SOMEBODY, YOU NEED TO ASK.
FACED WITH SIMILAR SITUATIONS, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT RESPONSES, AND OUR GOAL IS TO HELP THEM GET TO WHATEVER LIFE THEY WOULD FIND ACCEPTABLE.
SOMETIMES THAT IS NOT THE SAME DECISIONS WE WOULD MAKE.
THAT IS OK, TOO.
>> DURING THAT WHOLE TIME, EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT HE WAS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT CHARLIE COULD DIE, IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I DWELLED ON AND ALL.
THERE WAS A VERY DAY TODAY FEELING ABOUT IT, AND IT WAS AN ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT DAY, PERHAPS, TO STAND ON THE PARALLEL BARS.
OR A DAY THAT WAS A STEP BACK, IF YOU NEED MORE TIME ON THE EVENT OR COULD NOT SIT UP FOR A LONG TIME.
IT WAS MUCH MORE OF A DAY-TO-DAY THING.
>> AS DAYS TURNED INTO MONTHS, CHARLIE ATKINSON BEGAN IMPROVING.
14 MONTHS AFTER THE MOSQUITO BITE, CHARLIE LEFT SPAULDING REHAB, HIS SUPPORT AND CARE NOW IN THE HANDS OF HIS DEDICATED WIFE.
>> WHEN CHARLIE CAME HOME, I WOULD NEVER WANT TO RELIVE THOSE.
THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, THE LIMITED TRAINING WE GOT, THE CALLS TO THE AMBULANCE TO GO MAKE EMERGENCY TRIPS TO MASS GENERAL.
WE WERE SO UNPREPARED FOR LOOKING AFTER THAT SERIOUS LEVEL.
I HAVE NOT HAD A CLUE.
WE HAD VERY NICE TIMES, BUT MY GOSH, THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS REALLY DIFFICULT.
I THINK I CAN TAKE A LITTLE WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.
ANTHONY: BUT THE ATKINSON FAMILY GOT THROUGH IT, AND CHARLIE IS IMPROVING DAILY.
>> HE WAS UNLUCKY TO GET WEST NILE THE WAY HE DID, BUT LUCKY THAT HE SLOWLY STARTED TO IMPROVE, I AM LUCKY THAT HE HAS AMAZING PERSONAL RESERVE, WHERE SHE LOVES BEING ALIVE.
HE CELEBRATES EVERY GAIN THAT HE MAKES.
IN HIS EARLY 80’S, HE HAS TONS OF PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
>> CRAWLING OUT OF THAT AND SEEING THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY, I AM WALKING AT TWO MILES AN HOUR.
I AM NOW WALKING WITHOUT A CANE.
I PLAN TO BE ON THE TENNIS COURT IN JULY.
SHAYNA: THAT IS JUST GREAT.
CHARLIE JUST CELEBRATED HIS 60TH COLLEGE REUNION FROM HARVARD.
ANTHONY: HE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND ALL THE EVENTS, EVEN HAVE A DANCE WITH HIS WIFE.
AS YOU HEARD, HE WAS ALWAYS SETTING GOALS FOR HIMSELF AND REACHING THOSE GOALS, AND THAT REALLY HELPED HIM TO MOVE FORWARD.
SH