Polk County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Barry Henderson’s condition is slowly improving, according to information provided by officials keeping track of his progress in the hospital after more than 50 days on a ventilator.
Henderson this morning is on his 52nd day on a ventilator in ICU at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, and his 54th day in the hospital after he contracted COVID-19 near the start of the year and the symptoms worsened.
After prolonged time on the ventilator, Henderson is beginning to improve. He was just a day away from being transported to UF Shands Hospital for additional treatment when he suffered renal failure, and has since been forced to stay put.
Now according to recent updates from Chief Deputy Jonathan Blackmon, he’s starting to see some improvement. On Monday, Blackmon reported that 24-hour dialysis was shifted to a single session for the day on Tuesday, and that his ventilator use was now down to 65%.
Then on Tuesday evening, Blackmon provided the following message of hope in the case:
“Hallelujah, Praise our Lord! Barry has opened his eyes at the sound of his precious wife’s voice telling him she loves and misses him this morning around 2am!!! Love and Appreciate our work family! Continue to seek what God is going to do in this…”
Prayers for Henderson’s swift recovery continue to pour out from the community, along with from local officials. County Commissioner Chuck Thaxton called for the community to send out their support for Henderson, echoed by the rest of the board during their Monday night work session and again on Tuesday during the regular session.
A prayer meeting was also held this past Sunday for Henderson.
Check back for additional updates and announcements about fundraisers for Henderson as they become available.
