Adelaide dad Paul Cronin shouldn’t be alive this Father’s Day. Now his blood, packed with virus-fighting antibodies, is giving hope to other COVID-19 sufferers
A blood cancer patient who contracted COVID-19 while 3000km from his Adelaide home, and should have died, has discovered his blood is supercharged with antibodies. Read Paul’s miracle Father’s Day story.
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Paul Cronin is the “tough as nails” miracle dad from Adelaide who was not expected to celebrate Father’s Day this year and who’s blood is now helping science find a cure for COVID-19.
The 62-year-old had battled significant odds against an aggressive blood cancer when in late March he contracted the deadly virus en route home via Brazil after two weeks cruising Antarctica.
“I was high risk – I was male, over 60, and the first multiple myeloma patient in the state to contract the virus,” he said.
But after 19 days of touch and go in the Royal Adelaide Hospital – two in intensive care – Paul went home relatively unscathed.
“The doctors just could not believe I had survived the virus,” said the Seacombe Gardens resident.
“It’s bloody amazing – I should be sick as a dog and I am pretty well; it defies the laws of medicine.”
Paul has since discovered his blood contains high amounts of COVID-19 antibodies. Researchers have told him his levels are in the top five per cent of virus survivors.
“We didn’t think we’d be having him with us this Father’s Day,” said Paul’s 23-year-old son Daniel. “He’s as tough as nails … By all accounts he should have been dead.”
Paul is involved in two clinical trials at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and one at the Flinders Medical Centre.
SA Pathology’s Immunology Department is measuring Paul’s COVID-19 antibody levels at three, six and 12 months to see how long he is protected against the virus after infection.
Another RAH trial involving Paul aims to drive COVID-19 treatment and vaccine design. It involves looking into the relationship between the virus and the immune responses of adult and child hospital patients.
RAH clinical research manager of infectious diseases Catherine Ferguson said Paul and recovered patients like him were helping researchers across Australia and the world to overcome COVID-19.
Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells which is diagnosed among 147 South Australians each year. This month is Blood Cancer Awareness Month.