WEBVTT ♪ ANNOUNCER: 82-YEAR-OLD CHARLIE IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. >> HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE REGULAR FLOOR AT THE GENERAL HOSPITAL. THE FIRST NIGHT, THEY SAID THEY NEED TO PUT IN A BREATHING TUBE. IF YOU HAVE A BREATHING TUBE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FEEDING TUBE AS WELL. ANNOUNCER: FIVE YEARS AGO, A MOSQUITO BITES LEFT HIM WITH A SEVERE CASE OF WEST WHILE VIRUS. -- WEST NILE VIRUS. >> HE WAS A REALLY HEALTHY GUY THAT GOT THIS VIRUS AND RESULTED IN POLIO LIKE PROCESS. IF WE TALK ABOUT NUMBERS WHO LOOK LIKE HIM AND NEED THE TUBE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT GET OFF OF THE VENTILATOR, ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE WILL DIE. ONLY ONE IN 10 WILL BE HOME AND INDEPENDENT IN THE YEAR. ANNOUNCER: AFTER FIVE WEEKS, CHARLIE WAS MOVED TO SPAULDING REHAB IN CAMBRIDGE. THERE WAS PROGRESS AND THERE WERE SETBACKS. >> THE IDEA, WILL I EVER GO HOME, WAS A FERVENT HOPE AND A DISTANT DREAM, BUT NOT A POSSIBILITY. THE GOING HOME WAS A CONSTANT IDEA, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO GET BACK HERE. ANNOUNCER: FOUR TIME, DOCTORS AT THE REHAB CENTER FELT THE PROGRESS PLATEAUED. THEY GAVE JEANETTE THE BAD NEWS. IT WAS TIME TO START LOOKING FOR A NURSING HOME. >> THE ONLY NURSING HOME THAT WOULD TAKE CHARLIE WITH THE VENTILATOR AND NEED TEA HAD WAS WEST OF WORCESTER. IF HE HAD BEEN IN THAT TYPE OF LIMBO, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MUCH OF A LIFE. >> MAY IT -- MAYBE IT IS LOOKING AT IT NOW. THERE IS A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO CALL IT QUITS. THE IDEA OF KEEPING PEOPLE IN WAREHOUSES, TO STAY LIKE I WAS, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORTH LIVING. I HOPE I HAD THE GUTS TO CALL IT QUITS. ANNOUNCER: BUT, WHEN FACED WITH THAT CHOICE, -- >> THEY BROUGHT ME A FORM WITH THE DNR, DO NOT RESUSCITATE. IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THEORETICALLY, I BELIEVE IN THAT. BUT, WHEN IT CAME TIME TO MAKING A DECISION, I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD AND DECIDED NOT TO SIGN IT. >> THERE WERE FOUR TIMES WHERE CHARLIE STOPPED BREATHING. TWICE AT SPAULDING AND TWICE AT HOME. >> MODERN MEDICINE HAS THESE INTERVENTIONS, SO THERE IS A LOT AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO KEEP PEOPLE GOING. BUT, HAD YOU INITIATE THE CONVERSATION FOR WHAT IS BEST? WHO GETS THAT CHOICE? >> TO KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR SOMEBODY IS, YOU NEED TO ASK. BASED IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS, PEOPLE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO GET THEM TO ANY LIFE THEY FIND ACCEPTABLE GIVEN THEIR MEDICAL REALITIES. SOMETIMES, THAT IS NOT THE SAME DECISIONS WE MAKE, AND THAT IS OK. >> DURING THE WHOLE TIME, EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE CHARLEY COULD DIE, IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I DWELLED ON THE LAW. -- AT ALL. THERE WAS A DAY-TO-DAY FEELING AND STANDING ON THE BARS WAS A RED LETTER DAY, OR A STEP BACK IF HE CANNOT SIT UP FOR A LONG TIME. IT WAS DAY-TO-DAY. ANNOUNCER: AS THE DAYS TURNED INTO MONTHS, CHARLIE BEGAN IMPROVING. 14 MONTHS AFTER THE MOSQUITO BITES, HE HAD LEFT THE REHAB CENTER. HIS SUPPORT AND CARE IS IN THE HANDS OF THE DEDICATED -- HIS DEDICATED WIFE. >> WHEN CHARLIE CAME HOME, I WOULD NEVER WANT TO RELIVE THOSE. THE RESPONSIBILITY, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, THE LIMITED TRAINING THAT WE GOT, THE CALLS TO THE AMBULANCE TO MAKE MASTER IT’S TOO THE GENERAL HOSPITAL, WE WERE UNPREPARED. WE HAD VERY NICE TIMES, BUT, OH MY GOSH, THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS DIFFICULT AND REALLY BAD. >> I THINK I CAN TAKE A LITTLE WALK ON THE WILD SIDE. ANNOUNCER: BUT, THE ATKINSON FAMILY GOT THROUGH IT AND CHARLIE IS IMPROVING DAILY. >> HE WAS UNLUCKY TO GET THE VIRUS THE WAY HE DID, BUT LUCKY HE STARTED TO IMPROVE AND LUCKY HE HAS AMAZING RESERVES WHERE HE LOVES BEING ALIVE. HE IS DEDICATED TO HIS RECOVERY. HE CELEBRATES EVERY GAME HE MAKES. IN HIS EARLY 80’S, YES TONS OF PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. HE IS THE ONE IN 10. >> CRAWLING OUT OF THAT AND SEEING THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY, I’M WALKING AT TWO MILES AN HOUR, I’M NOT WALKING WITHOUT A CANE. I’M PLANNING TO BE ON THE TENNIS COURT. TED: LUCKY FOR AN INCREDIBLE WIFE. ONE OF CHARLIE ATKINSON’S GOALS WAS TO ATTEND HIS 60TH COLLEGE REUNION FROM HARVARD. WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT HE WAS THERE, AND EVEN ENJOYED A DANCE WITH HIS WIFE, JEANNETTE. IN HER BOOK, DR. LAMAS ALSO FEATURES PATIENTS WHO MADE THE CHOICE NOT TO CONTINUE CARE, EVEN IF IT MEANT THEY’D REMAIN ATTACHED TO A MACHINE. SHE TELLS US THAT THOSE PATIENTS HAD NO REGRETS. NEXT HIS BRIGHT FUTURE CHANGES , AFTER ONE NIGHT OF PARTYING. >> WE HAVE TO HELP HIM REALLY WITH EVERY PART OF