Lawrence Central High School teacher and coach survives coronavirus

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — A teacher and coach at Lawrence Central High School says he was on a ventilator for more than three weeks while he battled coronavirus.

Special education teacher and football coach Khayri Abdullah received a welcome home surprise from students, faculty and staff members at Lawrence Central High School Tuesday night with help from the City of Lawrence and McCordsville Police Department.

There was a line of cars waiting to drive by Abdullah’s home. People waved and honked horns from a distance.

“I never in a million years did I think I would see over 100 cars ride by my home and each person get a chance to say something and give me a message. It was remarkable,” said Abdullah.

Abdullah said he began showing symptoms of coronavirus on March 9.

“I went to school Tuesday the 9th and I didn’t go to school the next day I thought I had the flu,” he said.

The teacher went to the hospital to get tested, but it took almost two weeks to receive results. Abdullah also said he was discharged, but his conditions grew worse. The coach was back at the hospital in ICU and took another test — the results were positive for COVID-19.

“The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could around the clock without having those results and I think we he came back to ICU they were like we want these results faster so let’s do it again,” said Abdullah’s wife Lauran.

Lauran is pregnant and she also contracted coronavirus in March. She has since recovered and is expecting a healthy baby in June.

Abdullah said he would not have survived without his wife caring for him.

“I wouldn’t have made it. I would’ve just said that I’m sick and that’s happened to a lot of people they’re not taking it as serious and as a country we haven’t been taking it serious until now,” he said.