For a year, Mr Mercado was among patients in a critical condition, cared for by specialists at hospitals in Blacktown and Mt Druitt.
He battled with Guillen-Barre Syndrome, a condition where the immune system turns against the body’s nerves causing paralysis, his doctors said.
Samuel fainted at home in September 2022, as his lungs collapsed and was urgently admitted at Blacktown Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
For the next three months, doctors tried to save his life and by December made progress and transferred to Mount Druitt Hospital for further intensive treatment.
“I would have two to three nurses taking care of me at all times, from getting me out of bed, getting into the wheelchair, to going to the gym where the physiotherapist and occupational therapists would work with me,” Mr Mercado said.
“Everyone in the hospital I have come in contact with all played a major part in my recovery.
“When my physiotherapist and my occupational therapist saw me walking for the first time, they cried because it took me so long to walk again.”
Throughout his remarkable journey to recovery, Mr Mercado said he drew strength from the unwavering support of the healthcare professionals who surrounded him.
“I received fantastic, professional care from the staff at Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals,” Mr Mercado said.
“They are all beautiful people and in the eleven months that I’ve been in hospital, they made me feel I’m in a home away from home and not a hospital.
“Even though I am away from home and have been here a long time, I feel like I’m living with people who really care about me.
“They see me not just as a patient but as a person and a friend.”
Source: https://thepulse.org.au/
