Harnett County man embraced by neighbors in return home after 8-month battle with COVID

WRAL News first learned of Frankie Ballard's story last week. Ballard was a well-known face in town. formerly a town commissioner and firefighter.

On Tuesday, the family joined us in Ballard's community for an emotional and long-awaited welcome home. A police escort guided Ballard onto his street.

Neighbors decorated utility boxes and mailboxes and waved yellow signs with 'Welcome Home' on them. Ballard waved back as he was helped out of his vehicle.

The front yard also had 'WELCOME HOME' spelled out. Friends cheered as Ballard was wheeled up to his house around 12:30 p.m.

Ballard told WRAL's Bryan Mims he felt good and couldn't wait to return to his throne - the recliner. Previously, Ballard said he was most looking forward to getting back to his favorite chair.

"You've got a long way to go, but man, look how far God's brought you now," said one friend during a prayer.

Earlier, nurses and doctors bid Ballard farewell from the hospital amid tears, high-fives and kisses. Ballard said he felt "a little winded." He said his release and return home was hard to put into words.

"It's been a long, rough road," Ballard said.

Ballard, 68, has been in multiple hospitals since February. Ballard said he remembers entering the hospital in early February. March, April, May and June are all months blurred in his memory.

"I really came to around July 7, and I realized I had missed my Fourth of July party," said Ballard.

At one point, Ballard was in a room at Duke Regional Hospital, having survived renal failure, cardiac arrest and ravaged lungs. Around that time, doctors gave him a 5% chance of surviving. Ballard, who was just two days from getting his COVID-19 vaccine when he got sick, was on a ventilator and had kidney failure at one point. He also experienced being in a coma and cardiac arrest.

"He was worried about the ventilator. That was the scariest thing for him," said his daughter Hannah.

But on Tuesday, there was relief to be back home with his daughter Hannah, wife Revonda and Whitley, the family dog.

Also of note: This week marks Revonda and Frankie's 46th wedding anniversary, making Tuesday's events all the more special.

"I'm just so happy, so relieved, so thankful, it's been a long, hard journey," Revonda said.

"I don't deserve all this," Frankie said. "But I appreciate what they've done."