Roy Bartlett, 100, returns home after six weeks in hospital with COVID-19
A 100-year-old man has been discharged from hospital after battling coronavirus for six weeks. Roy Bartlett’s elated family say his survival is the good news story everyone needed.
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AFTER a six-long week battle with COVID-19, 100 year-old Roy Bartlett is heading home.
Mr Bartlett spent 42 days at St Vincent’s Private Hospital upon contracting coronavirus in an aged care facility.
However, he fought on and was discharged from hospital on Monday.
“I’m feeling so elated and relieved,” granddaughter Lauren Penrose said.
It wasn’t the only health scare Mr Bartlett has faced as he battled a significant case of pneumonia just prior to testing positive to the virus.
“He was rushed with the emergency department to St Vincent’s who I believe basically saved his life in an ambulance,” Ms Penrose said.
“He recuperated from that and then after two weeks he contracted COVID.”
Mr Bartlett celebrated his 100th birthday back on June 27 but unfortunately was unable to celebrate it with family.
“We weren’t able to celebrate with him,” Ms Penrose said.
“He turned 100 in the St Vincent’s rehab facility so we haven’t been able to have a proper celebration for his 100th birthday which was a driving force to get him out of the ‘COVID zone’.”
Ms Penrose hasn’t spoken to her grandfather just yet but the centenarian has been ‘inundated’ by call from family and friends already.
“He’s had mostly my two aunties and my dad (his kids) and phone-calls from his best mates,” Ms Penrose said.
“I will be giving him a call at some point.”
CEO of St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne Janine Loader described Mr Bartlett’s recovery as “the good news story we all needed”.
“Good news stories are few and far between in Melbourne at the moment, so Roy’s recovery from COVID after six weeks at St Vincent’s Private couldn’t have come at a better time,” Ms Loader said.
“We were so happy to see him walk out the doors, fully recovered.”
Mr Bartlett is “born-bred” in the Northern suburbs and has lived in the area his entire life.
According to his Ms Penrose, he is an “avid sportsman” and spent time as the treasurer of the Westgarth Baseball Club and was a cricket umpire.
His wife, Lorna suddenly passed away last November after a fight with cancer.
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