1 00:00:00,740 --> 00:00:04,550 mm mm hmm . Mhm . 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,130 Yeah , I'm Lieutenant 3 00:00:10,130 --> 00:00:12,241 Colonel paul tucker dancy . Everybody 4 00:00:12,241 --> 00:00:14,408 knows me as tucker , it's my call sign 5 00:00:14,408 --> 00:00:16,630 earn some years back . And I've been in 6 00:00:16,630 --> 00:00:18,797 the Air Force Now for a little over 18 7 00:00:18,797 --> 00:00:20,970 years . Part timer now in the New York 8 00:00:20,970 --> 00:00:23,660 Air National Guard . And I'm on a full 9 00:00:23,660 --> 00:00:25,660 time tour down here at the National 10 00:00:25,660 --> 00:00:27,882 Guard Bureau . It's one of the first in 11 00:00:27,882 --> 00:00:29,882 the National Guard to get sick from 12 00:00:29,882 --> 00:00:32,150 Covid before We all knew it as COVID-19 13 00:00:32,150 --> 00:00:34,317 or it's just the coronavirus you might 14 00:00:34,317 --> 00:00:36,760 have heard on the news . And I got sick 15 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,170 February March early March of 2020's 16 00:00:41,170 --> 00:00:43,470 when I was actually infected . I I 17 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:45,780 didn't know I was infected . Like most 18 00:00:45,780 --> 00:00:47,970 of new york didn't know what was about 19 00:00:47,970 --> 00:00:51,890 to happen . That led to 10 20 00:00:51,890 --> 00:00:55,180 tough days Of extreme fever 21 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:58,850 104°. And on 26 March 22 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,650 I collapsed in my kitchen floor 23 00:01:03,140 --> 00:01:05,251 Saratoga springs . New york's bravest 24 00:01:05,251 --> 00:01:07,418 showed up . I knew something was wrong 25 00:01:07,418 --> 00:01:10,030 As they walked in and they tossed blue 26 00:01:10,030 --> 00:01:13,080 mass that we all well know on the floor 27 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,330 and said , can you pick that up so 28 00:01:15,330 --> 00:01:17,552 brother I can't do anything without any 29 00:01:17,552 --> 00:01:19,663 help . And they said your first one . 30 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,551 And from there I went to the hospital 31 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,290 with respiratory failure . Uh Sir to 32 00:01:26,290 --> 00:01:28,790 the hospital . Their care teams and 33 00:01:28,790 --> 00:01:30,930 nurses , the physicians the best they 34 00:01:30,930 --> 00:01:33,860 could . They stabilized me . I survived 35 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,000 Up until April one On my own , which 36 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,770 is supplemental oxygen . So on April 37 00:01:40,770 --> 00:01:42,770 one , which happens to be my wife's 38 00:01:42,770 --> 00:01:45,400 birthday by the way and our anniversary . 39 00:01:46,340 --> 00:01:49,550 I wound up in a coma . I was in a coma 40 00:01:49,550 --> 00:01:52,970 on a ventilator for 11 days . And on 41 00:01:52,980 --> 00:01:55,310 April nine , the decision was made to 42 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:58,400 pull my feeding tube let nature take 43 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,590 over and I continue to fight 44 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,050 from there . Uh My first 45 00:02:05,050 --> 00:02:08,160 memory was april 15th of 2020 46 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,730 and that's when I woke up shockingly in 47 00:02:11,730 --> 00:02:13,841 the hospital , I don't know where I'm 48 00:02:13,841 --> 00:02:17,490 at . And in the meantime my guard unit 49 00:02:17,490 --> 00:02:19,690 had raised money not only for me , but 50 00:02:19,690 --> 00:02:21,801 now they started feeding the hospital 51 00:02:21,801 --> 00:02:25,060 staff . I recognized that 52 00:02:25,740 --> 00:02:28,960 in life or death they were there 53 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,150 um Terry and Natalie the same 54 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,910 in my condition on a ventilator . 55 00:02:36,910 --> 00:02:39,360 Everybody else was either still in the 56 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,670 hospital , they passed away or in a 57 00:02:41,670 --> 00:02:45,370 rehab home . I was the first one to 58 00:02:45,370 --> 00:02:49,280 come off that vent survive and walk out 59 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,613 of there and it was a one for all of us . 60 00:02:52,140 --> 00:02:54,418 My unit was there not only was my unit , 61 00:02:54,418 --> 00:02:56,473 there are other National Guard units 62 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,450 had started the response in new york uh 63 00:02:59,460 --> 00:03:02,250 famously , so now uh both Army Guard 64 00:03:02,260 --> 00:03:04,620 regard , we all came together for the 65 00:03:04,620 --> 00:03:07,640 community because we're all part of the 66 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,460 community . It's us . I o 67 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:15,960 my life to my community . 68 00:03:16,740 --> 00:03:19,330 Yeah , the guard family that came 69 00:03:19,330 --> 00:03:21,640 together and provided for my family . 70 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:23,760 When I was in a coma , I can't say 71 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,020 thank you enough , they came together 72 00:03:26,020 --> 00:03:28,660 and really just did it . No one asked 73 00:03:28,660 --> 00:03:31,930 them to do it . They just knew what the 74 00:03:31,930 --> 00:03:34,580 right thing to do was . They're ready . 75 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:36,984 They're all , we're always ready , 76 00:03:36,984 --> 00:03:39,360 we're always on . Even as part timers , 77 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:42,780 we're always ready and I'm I'm proud to 78 00:03:42,780 --> 00:03:45,150 say yes , that is me , 79 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,290 Just yeah .