An H1N1 Happy Ending

The H1N1 flu pandemic is serious business, as President Barack Obama made clear Saturday when he declared a national emergency related to the illness. But even though more than 1,000 Americans have died from the flu, let's remember that there are stories of hope and survival, too.

Take Arkansas higher schooler Luke Duvall. 60 Minutes reported that the 15-year-old football player was stricken with the illness so severely that nobody was sure whether he would live or die. For reasons unknown, the previously healthy teen caught a case of the flu so severe he began to have serious trouble breathing.

"He was panting like a dog, really fighting for breath," his father, Chad Duvall, told the news magazine.

His doctor, Jerril Green of Arkansas Children's Hospital added, "he did have moments when he was really sick enough and there was concern if he didn't improve he could die from this disease."

Scary stuff. But Luke clearly used some of his football toughness to hang in there. After 16 long days on a ventilator in intensive care, his doctors decided Friday that he was ready to try breathing on his own. They unhooked him, and within 20 minutes he was trying to talk.

Now, his pronosis looks quite good. "We can see the end of the road from here," said his dad. "And it's been a long time since we could see the end of the road." Now, the family expects Luke will be playing sports again come spring.

So, next time you are panicking about swine flu, remember that there are happy stories, too. But still, don't forget to use that hand sanitizer!

Photo courtesy of hdaniel via Flickr.