In Notre Dame Magazine, writer Michael Rodio tells the story of Ben O’Donnell, who fell ill with a 102-degree fever in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic became a national emergency. The triathlete, husband, and father of a 3-year-old suffered a cascade of ravaging effects that nearly killed him. O’Donnell’s lungs were so badly damaged that he became the first COVID patient in the Western hemisphere to undergo a last-hope procedure called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which offered only a 50 percent chance of survival. Rodio immerses readers in O’Donnell’s journey from patient on the brink of death—tethered to tubes and machines, wasting away— through the depression and doubt of recovery, to training for the triathlon he had registered for before his health ordeal. For O’Donnell, the prospect of a diminished life propelled him to the finish line. In an unflinching and inspiring narrative, Rodio makes vivid an unimaginable 14-month odyssey.
From the Judges
We were struck by this remarkable story, superbly told, of resilience and perseverance. Kudos to Notre Dame Magazine for this important work.
