About Us
Latest News

Six months into recovery from COVID-19, Michael Gray, president of Club Pilates, reflects on the challenges he’s overcome and the healing that lies ahead. One thing he’s sure of: the support of his care team and family made all the difference. “Nurses and technicians visited me in the acute rehab center on their days off. That’s unheard of. They still text to check in on me. Having access to the technology is one thing; having the right people behind you is instrumental.”

Michael, a fitness expert previously in excellent health, began exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms in late March 2021, which presented like the common cold. He had no cough or loss of smell or taste. Only a few days later, with a fever of 105°F and oxygen levels in the low 80s, he was admitted into Hoag’s intensive care unit (ICU). Michael says, “From that moment on, everything was a blur. I was intubated and woke up a week later from a coma, restrained and in a panic. Once I was breathing on my own again, that’s when the real fight started in my mind.”  

Michael’s physicians and family members discussed a lung transplant and prepared for the possibility he might not make it. They decided to start him on Hoag’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which pumps blood out of the body, removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back into the body. After 63 days in the ICU, Michael was transferred to Hoag’s Fudge Family Acute Rehabilitation Center. Hoag’s ECMO machine and Acute Rehabilitation Center have both been made possible by philanthropy. 

“Acute rehab was the most challenging thing I’ve ever been through, mentally and physically. I went from running and surfing, and coaching my son’s football team, to not being able to shower on my own,” Michael attests. His muscles atrophied during his stay in the ICU. With rehabilitation, Michael can now walk half a mile without stopping to catch his breath—and he’s determined to keep going. He’s celebrating almost three months at home and continues to work with physicians at Hoag to overcome COVID-related heart and lung conditions. Most importantly, he’s making progress. Michael attributes the care he received at Hoag to his success. 

“I made a point to get to know the doctors and nurses, to make connections. I couldn’t imagine being in their shoes, trying to treat the different conditions associated with COVID-19. And I didn’t want to be a number. I needed to recover. The physicians did an amazing job walking me through every step of the way. We were all in tears when I left the hospital.”