Howard’s fighting spirit was a key factor in how he made it through the medical morass that kept him in intensive care so long, Dr. Hawwa says.

“In addition to the heroic medical care, I believe that Dan’s resilience and desire to fight, and the immense emotional support he had from his loving family, played a large role in him getting through this life-threatening situation,” Dr. Hawwa says. “A person’s mental attitude is directly tied to their physical health. The medical care was extremely complex requiring a multidisciplinary team of more than 100 LVHN [Lehigh Valley Health Network] colleagues, including nurses, physical, occupational and respiratory therapists, nutritionists and advanced practitioners and physicians across every organ system and subspecialty as well as internal medicine residents and cardiology fellows.”

Howard freely admits he’s the stubborn type and credits that in part for his never-quit attitude. He says he kept thinking of how he didn’t want to leave his wife, their children or their new home in rural Slatedale, Lehigh County.

“He never gives up on anything,” Lisa Howard says. “My kids and I knew we couldn’t give up either. We wanted Dan to push as far as he could go. It was hard. It was a hard thing deciding what to do.”

“I’m not a religious person, but I believe there’s a lot more for me to do,” Dan says.