Georgia Bulldogs celebrate staff member beating COVID-19 after weeks on ventilator

CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. — It is an offseason victory for the Georgia Bulldogs that Jeremy Klawsky, a member of their football staff, is out of the hospital after spending weeks on a ventilator battling coronavirus.

Channel 2’s Tony Thomas learned about the huge celebration that included Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart.

Athens Piedmont doctors and nurses, along with UGA’s football hierarchy clapped and cheered for Klawsky as he went home Thursday.

The 32-year-old is a video coordinator for the Bulldogs.

He was on a ventilator for 23 days, but his parents told Thomas on Friday that he is now home with a renewed appetite and respect for his caregivers.

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It was definitely a long road to recovery but a joyous one as Klawsky emerged with a victory over COVID-19.

Hundreds of people lined the hallways and driveway of Athens Piedmont Hospital Thursday, wishing him well and celebrating a victory over what's been a challenging opponent these last few weeks.

“It was surreal. It was the coming down on the roller coaster,” his father, Stew Kalwsky, said.

Jeremy Klawsky wasn't up to talking publicly yet, but he's now at home, being nursed by his parents.

“It was just overwhelming just to see how many people in a hospital would come out for something like this, but it's also them seeing good news. And all their efforts really pay off,” his mother, Sherry Kalwsky, said.

Among those in the crowd watching him leave the hospital were Smart and UGA Athletics Director Greg McGarity.

But now, just five days after coming off an oxygen tube, Jeremy Kalwsky is home with a goal of getting back to Bulldogs football.

His mom says none of this would be possible without those same doctors and nurses who lined his path home.

“We wouldn’t be here without them and we are so grateful we are in Athens," she said.

Children's Healthcare hospitals decorate sidewalks as red carpets for workers It's a sign of inspiration and appreciation for healthcare workers at the Children Healthcare network.

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