Jackson man shares COVID-19 survival story

JACKSON, Tenn. — A Jackson man is sharing his story of surviving COVID-19.

Devoisie Owens was released from Jackson-Madison County General Hospital on Thursday, and now he wants to tell everyone his experience with COVID-19.

It has been an unexpected life experience for Owens and his family.

On Jan. 4, Owens was admitted to JMCGH after testing positive for COVID-19.

“Two days prior I got tested and tested negative, and then my sugar dropped to 29 and that’s when the ambulance came and took me to the emergency room and came back and said I tested positive for COVID,” Owens said.

Owens eventually was put on a ventilator and nearly died multiple times during his month-long stay in the hospital. He says it was a struggle during that time, but he never gave up.

“I just could hear things moving. I could hear the doctors talking, and I knew something was in my throat because I couldn’t speak,” Owens said.

His fiance, Bree Cooper, says this came as a shock to the family, but they knew they had to stay strong.

“It was really hard for him and his family because we get updates and every update was he was opening his eyes, and that was really good to us,” Cooper said. “It was also really hard at the same time knowing he was on a ventilator.”

Cooper also works at JMCGH, and she says the diagnosis was a scare for the whole family.

“It was really a shock to me and definitely with him because I know he has underline health issues,” Cooper said. “Once he got to the emergency room, I got to work and said to myself, ‘Is this really real?'”

Family members say they will continue to take precaution and social distance.