'I flatlined twice': Hantavirus survivor details harrowing ordeal | Elizabeth Vargas Reports

本站添加: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]Debbie Zepernick became very sick after coming into contact with the hantavirus spores from infected mice droppings while doing chores at her Montana ranch.

[00:00:09]Within weeks, she was fighting for her life. I spoke to Debbie a few moments ago about her harrowing experience and the damage that leaves her still struggling sometimes to speak.

[00:00:21]Debbie, you think you were infected when you went into your chicken coop for a few minutes one morning. You were just inside for a few minutes. What happened?

[00:00:31]Honestly, to Uh it was an outbuilding. I was feeding a stray cat in in the over the winter.

[00:00:39]And in the sum in the spring, I went and just I went and got the cat dishes out and I was in there literally 5 minutes.

[00:00:47]And how how soon after did you start to develop symptoms and get sick?

[00:00:52]About a week and a half. What were your symptoms?

[00:00:58]To be honest with you, my first symptom was fatigue. And uh it was an extreme fatigue I never felt before.

[00:01:08]I literally just got done making a batch of Kahlua, homemade Kahlua. And I couldn't bottle it.

[00:01:15]And um you know, I for family and friends, I could not bottle it. And I I couldn't do anything.

[00:01:23]So, you had sort of a brain fog on in in addition to the fatigue?

[00:01:29]Yes. Absolutely. Um I say I have the fatigue set in and then the muscle aches, back aches.

[00:01:40]Um I literally took myself to the chiropractor because my neck hurt so bad.

[00:01:45]Um few days later after my fatigue.

[00:01:50]And he sent me to the hospital saying something was very seriously wrong with you.

[00:01:55]And then I'd been out in and out of the ER uh four times before I literally flatlined at the hospital twice, and they airlifted me to another town and hospital where the crew on the life flight uh actually got me ventilated.

[00:02:17]So, you were put on a vent >> bobcat, they said. Every time you went to the ER, Debbie, what did they tell you? Did they think that you had the flu? Is that what you thought you had?

[00:02:28]Or pneumonia?

[00:02:29]>> Yeah, that's right. I thought I had the flu.

[00:02:32]But then the pain turned into migraines, and by the second week I was delirious.

[00:02:42]I was aggressive with my um everything around me, the lights, the sounds.

[00:02:49]You're confused.

[00:02:52]Things aren't right.

[00:02:54]>> how long were you on the ventilator in this induced coma?

[00:02:59]Uh I I'm saying to It was close to 2 weeks.

[00:03:08]Wow.

[00:03:08]>> And um It's hard to uh I guess probably express it to people.

[00:03:22]Um The last time I went to the hospital, my husband took me. And I had a fever of 104.

[00:03:29]And I don't remember.

[00:03:31]They said I He said I was acting like a rabbit bobcat. They had to strap me down. I was ripping everything out.

[00:03:40]And that's why the life flight got me ventilated in Great Falls.

[00:03:45]Saved my life.

[00:03:47]You, once you got better from this, and by the way, there's a very, you know, it's a pretty high fatality rate from this virus. You're lucky you survived it. But, you suffered some real serious long-term damage from this virus. You have lasting spinal cord damage, lasting neurological damage.

[00:04:09]Yeah, brain injury I have.

[00:04:14]Uh extreme memory loss, short-term memory.

[00:04:20]I can't I am I've been disabled since I I can't like kids blocks say with patterns Mhm.

[00:04:28]Um I cannot do that. I can't put a pattern together. I can't do certain things because of the coma.

[00:04:36]But, also during the coma all my organs failed. My heart enlarged.

[00:04:41]My body swelled up twice the size.

[00:04:44]My husband I guess I even had pancreatic surgery in my coma. I found out all these things later. Yeah.

[00:04:52]Um my family went through a lot. Yeah.

[00:04:55]Well, you went through a lot. Um and I can't imagine what it's like for you now reading that there's this outbreak of this hantavirus having been through hell and back with the virus yourself.

[00:05:10]Yeah, I would say hell's good word.

[00:05:13]It's a good word. Um The people on the ship break my heart. Um I'm sorry. I always get emotional.

[00:05:25]Um I want people to know there's hope. There's it's not a pandemic. Please.

[00:05:35]My heart goes out to these people. I want I I want just people please don't panic. Please. It's very very rare. You have more chances of getting hit by lightning.

[00:05:48]That's how rare it is. Debbie, thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it and I wish you nothing but continued recovery. Thank you for watching. Subscribe below and download our NewsNation app right now on your phone and you will get fact-based, unbiased news for all Americans.