NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Cheers filled the halls at Theda Care Hospital in Neenah on Monday as Ripon fire chief Tim Saul said goodbye after 34 days of fighting COVID-19.
“A lot of people didn’t think I was going to make it.”
Saul tells FOX 11 there was a point where he was hours away from death.
“And I kept battling myself, I didn’t want to lose the battle so I did what I needed to do and did what they told me to.”
Monday afternoon, Saul turned the corner to his home in Ripon where he was greeted with a parade of first responders from surrounding communities.
“Being home will be a second boost to get there,” said Saul.
Ripon Deputy Chief Mike Sabel drove him home from the hospital.
“It feels great to have Tim back!” Tim was very cautious in making sure that we all wore masks and sanitized, social distancing and all of the things and so it did come as a very big surprise.”
“Everyone says they are the heroes, well they are the heroes,” Saul says he owes it all to the 72 nurses who took care of him.
“Take it seriously, don’t wait. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are, it attacks everybody differently.”
Chief Saul says he hopes to get back to work at the fire department as soon as he can, and his goal is to make a full recovery within a couple of months.
