A Southwest Iowa man returns home from a month of rehabilitation after contracting the West Nile Virus.
Troy Clark, 59, of Yorktown, IA is leaving Madonna Rehab Hospitals on Thursday after contracting the west nile virus more than one month ago. Clark owns a tree trimming business and believes he contracted it while on a job. He felt weak for a couple of days before going to the emergency room.
Iowa has seen their most cases of West Nile in 15 years totaling 73. Nebraska has had even more at 163 cases.
Clark has been doing physical therapy at Madonna Rehab Hospitals since August 29. He started in a wheelchair, and is now able to leave with a walker.
"You hear stories about people dying from it for one thing, but until you have it I didn't realize basically it just makes you paralyzed. I couldn't move, I couldn't sit up, I couldn't do anything," Clark explained.
Since Clark went to Madonna he's worked with Inpatient Physical Therapist Jordan Roth and others to get his strength back through physical, speech, and occupational therapy. West Nile can take over a person's neurological system with numbness, weakness, loss of eye sight, and even death.
"He's kind of a miracle. He's such a hard worker and everything and just seeing him in that wheelchair the very first day and up walking around with me joking around now it puts a smile on your face that's for sure," Roth explained.
Clark hopes people remember to always put on bug spray when outside and get rid of any standing water around your home because anyone can get the virus.
