Tony Conner spent 9 days in coma, 21 days on ventilator and 30 days in ICU, finally went home Christmas Eve

Tony Conner spent 9 days in coma, 21 days on ventilator and 30 days in ICU, finally went home Christmas Eve

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Tony Conner spent 9 days in coma, 21 days on ventilator and 30 days in ICU, finally went home Christmas Eve

The holiday weekend is a special time for many but for one Omaha Police Sergeant, Christmas Eve marks a second chance at life.

That's when Tony Conner, Omaha Police Officer's Association finally went home after nearly losing his battle with COVID-19.

Simple pleasures for Conner, 43, these days, like hanging out with family on the couch, brings so much joy.

"I think whenever you have a near death experience, you will look at life a little differently," said Conner.

The law enforcement family already sees things differently, knowing the deadly risks of the dangerous job Conner has held with the Omaha Police Department since the year 2000.

"I don't know if you can really ever be truly prepared for that (killed in the line of duty). Or even in this case, COVID," Conner said. "I was on the brink of death."

Conner and his wife, Linda both tested positive for COVID at the end of October last year.

"It was one of the worst experiences of my life," said Linda Conner.

Conner's wife drove him to the emergency room Nov. 6, 2020 because he was having trouble breathing and his oxygen levels were low. He improved and doctors released him from the hospital about a week later. But the next day, an ambulance had to rush him back to the ER and doctors put him on a ventilator that night. "The last thing I remember was being in the ER, the nurses putting IV's in my arm and I was on a breathing machine," he recalled. "Last thing I remember, and then I was waking up from a coma."

Conner spent nine days in a coma, three weeks on a ventilator and trach, a total of 30 days in the intensive care unit at Bergan Mercy Hospital.

"I didn't think he was going to survive," said CHI Health pulmonologist Dr. Zachary DePew.

DePew works on extremely ill COVID-19 patients. He inserted tubes into Conner's lungs. Blood clots made his situation critical.

"I prepped his wife and we had multiple conversations around basically saying, 'I will do whatever I can,' but I started to plant the seed for her, 'You probably want to have family come and see him.'"

"It was awful to have somebody tell you to get ready to lose the love of your life," said Linda Conner.

But like her husband, Linda Conner is a fighter. She spent 12 hours every day by his bedside. She said she never said good-bye.

"I never say goodbye. I say, 'See you tomorrow, babe, see you tomorrow.' I know he was a fighter. I know that he was going to stay with us," she said.

"There were moments when my family and my law enforcement family was preparing my funeral," Tony Conner said.

But he battled and didn't give up.

"I wanted to get back to my family. All I could think about was my kids. I really wanted to get back to my family and that was one of the reasons I fought so hard to get back," he said.

His blue family was waiting for him with fist bumps and applause as he left the ICU in a wheelchair to go to physical rehabilitation.

Next came the fight to regain his strength and learn how to walk again.

He took advice from a fellow police officer friend.

"He says, 'Look down at your feet and take it one step at a time. Don't look at the finish line. Take it one step at a time,'" Conner said.

The father of three knew every single step would get him closer to his family.

"I just don't ever want to go through that again. That was hard," said daughter, Mia Conner.

Mia, 10, TJ, 6, and Diauvion, 21, were waiting for him at home.

They didn't get to see him for two months. But now they get another Christmas with their dad.

"He was a very good present because he's my dad and he almost passed away," said TJ Conner.

"I hope that this story gives other families hope that, whether their family member struggling from COVID or struggling from whatever other disease or problems, that they can make it too and there is a possibility of them surviving," Conner said.

A team of more than 40 health care heroes worked on Conner in the Bergan Mercy ICU.

The Conner's brought them donuts and coffee to say thank you.

"Thank you for everything. I appreciate you," Conner told the nurses and doctors.

The last time Conner saw some of the nurses and doctors, he was weak and leaving the hospital in a wheelchair to head to rehab.

"It was a bad situation but I'm glad it turned out okay," DePew told Conner.

"A year later, I feel good now," said Conner.

"I really don't remember much from the coma but I certainly remember when I was waking up and remember the nurses and doctors being absolutely fantastic." he said.

"We didn't think he was going to make it. He was really sick," said critical care nurse, Josie Kopal.

Conner said simple acts, like a nurse shaving his head, helped with his healing.

"Being able to wake up and be alive and cut my hair," he said. "It sounds so basic, everyday things you just don't think about. You just kind of take for granted."

The big difference between Conner's situation one year ago and the state of the pandemic today, he didn't have the option of a vaccine.

Conner's now vaccinated and urges his fellow officers to roll up their sleeves. He recorded a video with the police chief for department.

"There are at least a couple officers, that after seeing me and knowing how sick I was, seeing me on video with the chief, they actually chose to get vaccinated with my encouragement of the vaccine. I know it helped," he said.

"I'm so thankful. If it wasn't for you guys, he wouldn't be here talking to everybody," Linda Conner told the nurses.

As much as the Conner's are grateful for the medical staff, this visit is just the medicine and holiday cheer the nurses need right now.

"We see so much devastation, you feel like at the end of the day, you feel so nihilistic and say, 'Why are we even bothering,'" DePew said.

The health care workers said Conner and other COVID-19 survivors are the reason and to see first hand how they are making a difference, even while being short-staffed, overworked and just plain exhausted from treating people day in and day out deathly ill with COVID-19.

"To be able to see them come back, dressed in their uniform, standing up, not on oxygen, all the tubes and lines removed from them, you get to see they get to see the fruits of their labor, that's the boost these nurses need to see," said CHI Health critical care Dr. Adam Highley.

"We do this every single day and his story is what keeps us going," said nurse Kopal. "They're laughing in there with him and are so happy to see him," Highley said. "A lot of these nurses, they don't laugh very much during the day because so busy and it's so difficult."

"No offense, I have no desire to come back to ICU," Conner told the nurses. "Love you guys, but I hope I never see you again."

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