SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – After fighting the coronavirus for 25 days at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, longtime pediatrician and Navy veteran Steve Hefler is on the road to recovery.
The team at SMH celebrated as Hefler transitioned to a step-down unit this afternoon, all singing Hefler’s favorite song “Country Roads” by John Denver.
Hefler has been in the ICU since March 29.
Helfer recently gained some notoriety after his family could not get in touch with him after his cell phone had died and a nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital offered one to him.
The Hefler family has since started buying phone chargers for hospitals around the country so COVID-19 patients can stay connected with loved ones.
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