All Ebony Fenderson could do was pray when her cousin Rodney Wescott lay in the HUP COVID-19 ICU last year, hooked up to a ventilator and in a coma for more than a month.
While Fenderson, a financial administrative coordinator for the Institute on Aging, and other family members prayed, critical care physician William Schweickert, MD, and his team worked around the clock to keep Wescott alive.
Wescott had a long and challenging road ahead. After making it off the ventilator in early January, he spent months in rehabilitation undergoing intense physical therapy to treat a bone disorder that developed during his hospitalization, making it painful and difficult to stand or walk.
Prior to his illness, Wescott had been a business owner, a basketball coach, a world traveler, and an active member of his southwest Philadelphia community.
“I thought, ‘I don’t want to live like this.’ I got to that point,” Wescott said. “But eventually, I thought, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I chose to fight. I was like, ‘I'm going to be better than I was before. I'm going to work harder than anybody else does.’”
And that’s exactly what he did.
Wescott started going to the gym at his rehab facility, motivating himself and others to persevere. Then he founded COVID V. Conquerors, an organization that connects COVID-19 survivors who were also placed on ventilators. He shares his ongoing recovery on social media and uses his platform to urge community members to get vaccinated.
Nearly a year after contracting the virus, Wescott is working on getting a little bit better every day, taking walks around the community with anyone who wants to join. His latest goal: Follow in Rocky’s footsteps by charging — or at least walking — up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Nov. 28 to honor COVID conquerors everywhere. He’ll be joined by friends and family members, including Fenderson and her boss.
“We knew that if he made it out, he was going to help others,” Fenderson said.
At least one member of Wescott’s care team will be there on those steps. Critical care nurse Carol Kershaw, RN, BSN, took care of Wescott and communicated with his wife and daughters when he was in the COVID ICUs. When Kershaw read about the work that Wescott has been doing, she said she was “overjoyed” and put the event on her calendar immediately.
“Not all of our patients had a positive outcome. This has been the tragedy of this pandemic,” Kershaw said. “I have prayed for our patients, families and those that died throughout this pandemic. To see Rodney and his family and the work he is doing to help survivors heal brings joy to my heart.”
If you’re interested in joining Wescott on the Rocky Steps on Sunday, Nov. 28, or supporting his cause, visit covidvconquerors.com.