As COVID-19 cases dropped and vaccinations rose, this Neenah man battled for his life at an Oshkosh hospital – Oshkosh Northwestern

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OSHKOSH For the past two months, Renee Schubart wasn't sure if she'd become a widow this year.

Her husband, Mark, had been at Ascension Mercy Hospital on ventilation support for 21 days after getting COVID-19 in January. But in early March, Renee received the news: Mark was going to make it.

"That's when I started textingpeople.I think I can honestly say that I'm not going to be a widow in 2021," Renee said. "I'm over that;I don't have to consider that anymore. We're going to be moving forward."

Mark walked out of the hospital March 25 while loved ones cheered him on through a crowd of hospital staff and friends. While leaving, he was at a loss for words.

"I always say thank you is not a strong enough word. I don't know if there's a word in the English language that conveys how much gratitude I have for these people," he recently told the Oshkosh Northwestern.

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Thaddeus, Palek and Winnie Thorpe-Kavanaugh wait for their great-uncle Mark Schubart on March 25 at Ascension Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh.(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Schubart, 64, is now recovering from the virus at his home in Neenah. He came down with COVID-19 after working his regularnight shift at Kimberly-Clark.

On Jan. 31, he woke up and started developing a headache, body aches and fever. The following week, he asked Renee to take him to the hospital, but the Ascension campus near their home St. Elizabeth didn't have any COVID-19 beds available.

Instead he went to Ascension Mercy, a decision he credits with saving his life. He had no prior health conditions before getting the virus. Being in good health gave the doctors hope he would recover, Renee said.

Mark has no memories of his time on the ventilator. When he started coming out of the coma, he had vivid dreams that meshed with reality for about a week. On March 10, he realized he didn't remember how to walk.

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Mark Schubart says goodbye to nurses Rose Filipiak and Shauna McCredie on March 25 as he leaves Ascension Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh.(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

With the help of hospital staff, after about two weeks he went from learning how to stand to walking out of the hospital's front door.

While her husband battled COVID-19 in the hospital, Renee and one of their sons were also recovering from COVID-19 at home. Struggling with exhaustion, Renee slept 12 hours a night and took naps during the day.

"I didn't have time to be sick. I was numb. I was numb from what was going on with my husband and then the paranoia of being sick myself," said Renee, who has since fully recovered.

While the Schubarts fought the virus, the number of COVID-19 cases in Winnebago County started to decrease from the highs in the fall.

However, the county has seen a slight uptick in cases over the past two weeks. As of Thursday, it recorded 17 new positive cases and no new deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the county has confirmed 14,651 positive cases and 186 deaths. These numbers don't include Menasha or Appleton, which have their own health departments.

Doug Gieryn(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

It's the second week in a row Winnebago County has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases after several weeks of low numbers, Health Officer Doug Gieryn said.

That's because more people aren't wearing masks and not social distancing, Gieryn said. Those in Oshkosh are still required to wear masks due to a citywideordinance that went into effect once the Supreme Court overturned the statewide mandate. But, because Winnebago County does not have its own mask order, the mandate doesn't apply toanywhere outside the city limits.

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It's still important to wear a face covering and socially distance in order to slow the spread of the virus, Gieryn said. However, the threat of COVID-19 will most likely decline with increased vaccinations over the next couple of months, he said.

Back at home, Schubart said he's thankful to still be alive and plans on making a full recovery with the help of therapy to strengthen his body. His message to others:"COVID is real."

When Mark got home, his neighbors were in his front yard with banners celebrating his return.

"He didn't know any of that was happening. We wanted to make a big to-do about it," Renee said. "The big to-do wasn't about him or me or us. We really wanted people to know how wonderful Mercy is and what they did for us."

Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.

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As COVID-19 cases dropped and vaccinations rose, this Neenah man battled for his life at an Oshkosh hospital - Oshkosh Northwestern