10,000 dead from covid19. As officials warn the country, there will be long and hard days and nights ahead. The brunt of which will be shouldered by our health care workers. And to do the job they need the right tools. For many that means ventilators. Machines that are saving lives. And yet for some hospitals are in dangerously short supply. Here he comes. Reporter for david lat, watching his 2yearold boy play is a blessing he nearly lost. One of the things you just take for granted until you have Something Like this. Reporter a Second Chance of sorts for the 44yearold attorney. After covid19 left him on a ventilator for six days, his life teetering on the brink of death, hes now reemerging. Our president has called this a war, and so as one of the people to fall early in that war and get back up, as they say in the military, welcome home. Hey, thank you. Its good to be back. Reporter a return he says that he owes to the machine that helped him breathe when he couldnt. A ventilator. I wouldnt be here if i wasnt able to be connected to that lifesaving device. Its not perfect. A lot of people dont survive. But oh, gosh. Its an amazing device. And we need more of them. Reporter but as the country approaches the predicted apex of the coronavirus pandemic the next week is going to be our pearl harbor moment. Its going to be our 9 11 moment. Reporter many are sounding the alarm about the prospect of running out of the devices. We have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile. Were looking anywhere and everywhere across the wo ventil. More ventilators. There are a lot of people dying. The virus is everywhere. Reporter it was less than a month ago when the twotime new york marathon runner began feeling some of the symptoms of covid19, fatigue and losing his sense of taste. I didnt really think it was coronavirus. I kind of thought oh, its probably just the you know, a cold or flu or something. But over the next few days the symptoms got worse. Reporter then came the fever, the chills, the aches. And when he began feeling shortness of breath on march 15th he headed to the e. R. But did not get tested for covid19. They told me we cant give it to you because as you know the cdc guidelines are pretty strict and we just didnt have enough tests. But they essentially sent me home. Reporter when his symptoms worsened the following day, barely able to walk or stand, he was admitted to the hospital. But a few days later a harrowing turn. Developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. I dont think i realized how bad i had it. I was just in my hospital bed on this friday night and my lungs were filling with fluid. My oxygen levels were dropping. Reporter when it became impossible for him to breathe doctors turned to a ventilator for help. The scariest moment was actually the intubation, when they were giving me anesthesia to put me to sleep so they could put a tube in my mouth that would enable me to breathe. I just remember thinking that i might die. When i was on that table and they were injecting me with the anesthesia i just thought no, i dont want to go. Reporter through it all the hospital prohibiting any visitors. His husband, zac, forced to way for news back at home. In that moment you thought your husband might die. Yes. God forbid, without david raising a 2 1 2yearold as a single father because i was in our apartment. And so i just kept looking around. And of course everything reminded me of david. Reporter the decision to put him on a vent lailtor, david says, saved his life. Dr. Luko danho oversaw his care. The ventilator was key probably to his recovery. We wouldnt have made that decision lightly. Putting someone on a ventilator is a decision we all think about. He was definitely someone who needed it. Ventilators are not a cureall but david is living proof that they can keep someone alive. Reporter for those states and hospitals in short supply their pleas answered. At least in part. From Oregon Governor kate brown sending 140 ventilators to new york. If any of the ventilators we send can be used to save one life, then its worth it. Reporter Governor Cuomo also announcing the shipment from the Chinese Government of 1,000 donated ventilators to his state. I mean, everyone ore here has covid19. Reporter in this Brooklyn Hospital dr. John marshall, chairman of emergency medicine, says they get a new patient every 14 minutes. We had to move our entire triage area outside. It gave us Additional Space inside to see patients and also gave us the opportunity t identify whether a patient should go to the hospital, whether they should go to the cold zoeb. Reporter abc news got rare access inside the mimon diaz medical center. Were work under the assumption every patient has covid at 19. Reporter he spent time as a medic in afghanistan but he says this virus has taken a toll like nothing others experienced. Youre seeing what feels like a whole emergency environment thats almost arranged around isolation. Societys never going to be exactly the same as it was. Reporter in baton rouge, louisiana nurse morgan babin at our lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is increasingly more worried about their ventilator supply. So theres like 50 Covid Patients that are requiring vents right now, and we have 81 confirmed positives at our hospital in baton rouge. Hopefully, we dont run out. Reporter dr. Christopher b. Thomas is a doctor at her hospital and shares her concern. Patients that are positive or under investigation is around 200. 40 of those patients are indeed on ventilators. Reporter his fellow doctor Katherine Oneil adds that in terms of supplies their hospital is one of the lucky ones. At least for now. We normally have about 90 icu beds. Were at 100 now. So we are at our max icu capacity on a normal day. And we can get up to 20 more but that will be definitely not something weve ever seen before. Its more about a marathon, right . For laypeople like myself in this fight against covid19 how vital are ventilators . Its absolutely essential for me to have them. But almost as essential as that is for the laypeople to understand that being at home, washing your hands, and at this point essentially staying at home are just as critical. And if they dont stay home, then the amount of ventilators i need will go up. You now are a Health Care Provider. In this fight we all have a job. Reporter for dr. Thomas, a father of two, this virus became an opportunity to teach his children what he calls their greatest lesson. What i told them is theres always a time in each of our lives where you need to be kind. And just like we told you to always be kind to other children its important for me to be kind to everyone i signed up to take. Reporter meanwhile, this virus continuing to ravage, taking the lives of too many too soon. In the u. S. The death toll has now risen to over 10,000. Theres francis back boccabella iii of new jersey who was the first tsa record on record to duyst disease. Detective Marylou Armer of santa rosa, california. Sandra santos vizcaino the first School Teacher in new york city to die. And marybelth papetti, aunt of steve baker. But for all the souls lost, hearts broken dr. Oneal reminds us science and statistics tell us there will be more. Our nation passed a grim marker today. More than 10,000 people in our country have died of covid19. But those are 10,000 individual stories, 10,000 different families. Right. The 10,000 doesnt bother me as much as the bother that its going to get so much worse than that when all of these small towns start seeing their peak at the same time and were already as full as we can get. If i had to guess, were going to look at 10,000 and wish we could go back to that day. Reporter for david lat as he moves forward its been prayer that hes leaned on. I will admit we should always be praying but i have to admit i prayed a lot more in these past few weeks than usual. Reporter in times like these the soul often heals faster than the body. Whats the road to recovery look like for you now that youre home . One of the things about the ventilator is when its working and youre on it its breathing for you. And so your lungs are almost forgetting how to breathe. So i get very short of breath. Ill walk across a room. Ill be panting. My heart rate will go over 100. Its tough. You just have to get used to it. Reporter i might imagine that there may be some families watching tonight who are right now in the space your family was in. What might you say to them . I heard from a lot of people on twitter, for instance, who have loved ones that are on ventilators. And i tell them, look, hang in there. Be hopeful. Im living proof that these devices work and they save lives. And there are no guarantees, but be hopeful. Up next the challenges and Lessons Learned from parenting children with special needs during the pandemic. Y ozes helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. A majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Heres your a1c. Oh my a1c is under 7 announcer and you may lose weight. Adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. I lost almost 12 pounds oh announcer for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. It lowers the risk. Oh and i only have to take it once a week. Oh oh, oh, oh, ozempic® announcer ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not share needles or pens. Dont reuse needles. Do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or Family History of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. Stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. Serious side effects may include pancreatitis. Tell your doctor if you have Diabetic Retinopathy or vision changes. Takimaincrease® with a sullow bloosugar ri. Lin common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. Some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Onceweekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® announcer you may pay as little as 25 per prescription. Ask your Health Care Provider today about onceweekly ozempic®. Anna could only imagine a comfortable nights sleep without frequent heartburn waking her up. Now, that dream. Is her reality. Nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts, for allday, allnight protection. Can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn . Theryoure not good enough. Hard to control. For allday, allnight protection. But i am enough. And i know what im made of. Put your skin in the game. With a razor that puts your skin first. And i dont count the wrinkles. But what i do count on is boost high protein. And now, introducing new boost women. With key nutrients to help support thyroid, bone, hair and skin health. All with great taste. New, boost women. Designed just for you. In nearly 100 years serving the military community, weve seen you go through tough times and every time, youve shown us, youre much tougher your heart, courage and commitment has always inspired us and now its no different so, were here with financial strength, stability and experience you can depend on and the online tools you need because you have always set the highest standard and reaching that standard is what were made for put to the test tonight, parents of children with special needs. The covid19 crisis throwing new challenges at millions of american families. Many without the support and lifelines they so desperately need. How they are getting by and the extra precautions theyre taking to protect their children. Heres abcs devin dwyer. Which way do we go . Boo. Reporter for 10yearold mariah winchell, who has autism and downs syndrome, life under quarantine is anything but routine. Do you want to lets go show your schedule. Reporter like many parents these days mariahs are trying to keep learning on track. Word of the day yesterday was bacteria. Reporter mom melissa behind the camera points out the science experiments growing yeast by the board games. The living room now home to mariahs cardboard rocket ship and sentence diagrams. How concerned are you that her development, her socialization is going to be set back in a big way . Im really concerned. Reporter for parents with special Needs Children life in a pandemic comes without many of the usual supports. Those home health aides, therapists, coaches, teachers, and most of all routine. A lot of our routines have changed. You guys are clearly stressed. A lot of anxiety. Reporter single dad rob gorseky of canton, ohio says hes been overwhelmed. Im a dad to three autistic kids. And my oldest is medically fragile. So one of the things that he has right now is a compromised immune system. Reporter 20yearold son gavin in the middle there shows off his pumpford gene infusions to boost his immunity. Its pretty stressful worrying about trying to keep him healthy and safe by not exposing him to anything really. Reporter the gorskis havent left the house for 30 days, testing their patience with each other and their communication skills. Always try to find ways to stay relaxed and stay calm. Stick with your parents. Like we stick with our dad. And hes the best dad we could ever have. And if you see him right now, hes blushing. How are you doing with this being at home . Im good. Youre good . Do you miss your friends . Yeah. Yeah. Reporter single mother opal foster of Southern Maryland also worries about the impact of isolation on her son jeremiah who hass down syndrome. Theres a lot of things that theyre used to in their regular routine that theyre not going to be getting. Were working on kind of getting a zoom or skype meeting together so you guys can see each other. Reporter and after losing her job at a Printing Company last month, foster now wonders whether theyll stay financially afloat. I would love to say that everything will go back to normal tomorrow and well snap our fingers and everything will be back just the way that it was, but it wont. Reporter another glimpse of the new challenges around a dining room table in washington, d. C. Danny is medically fragile. So the virus itself would be pretty devastating to him. Reporter megan scully and chris debot now fulltime caregivers for their 4yearold son danny who has a rare brain disorder putting him at increased risk from covid19. One of the fights for us is keeping the front line for us here at home instead of possibly having to go to the hospital. Reporter as we talk outside, dannys 2yearold brother elliott inside, keeping that distance as older brother sam tells us hes worried. Are you afraid of the disease . A little. Because like what if bean catches it like or what if i catch it . If i catch it i would probably have to stay in my room all day. Maybe for two weeks. And like i wouldnt get to see him at all. Reporter danny was just beginning to learn how to communicate when the pandemic closed his school. We are homeschooling a secondgrader and we are trying to get dannys therapies in to the best that we can but we just cant replicate what they can do at school. Reporter and youre holding down two fulltime jobs at the same time. Thats right. Yes. So were ending the threehour shift here. Mariah and i wrote a story today. Reporter same for Melissa Winchell toggling between daycare and a day job, a fulltime University Professor still lecturing, grading papers and advising hundreds of students. Among them now mariah, whos still struggling to understand all that loss of normalcy. The grief almost feels fresh to them every day, almost like theyre reexperiencing it all over for the first time. So were having a lot of just daily crying. Reporter how do you explain to her what a pandemic is . I taught her the word coronavirus. She knows the word covid19. Its to the point now that she calls it stupid coronavirus. Reporter the stress many parents say is relentless. The lack of adult contact is pretty challenging. I love my kids, and if i had to be on lockdown with anybody its my kids. So im glad i have them. But it does sort of take its toll. I dont think so much about how to get through it. I just i just know that my kids are relying on me and i have to do whatever i have to do. I am on the couch for the second time since noontime today because i am just so tired. Reporter often exhausted but still resilient. I think the sense that nothing is permanent, that lifes not a given, that lifes so fragile, thats i think what disabled families know. And i think thats the wisdom that were bringing into the experience of quarantine and into covid. Reporter for nightline im devon dwyer in washington. And next the major milestone and major surprise. Cancer wont wait. It wont wait for a convenient time or for hospitals to get back to normal again. Thats why, at Cancer Treatment centers of america, we arent waiting. Were right here, still focused on the only thing we do, providing worldclass cancer care, all under one roof. Because cancer isnt just what we do, its all we do. Cancer Treatment Centers of america. Call now for an appointment. Backseat chefs peer inside your oven but youve cleaned off all the baked on business from meals past with easy off so the only thing they see is that beautiful bird. Go ahead let them judge. A lot of folks ask me why their dishwasher doesnt get everything clean. I tell them, it may be your detergent. Thats why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum. With the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. For sparklingclean dishes, the first time. Cascade platinum. Nissan has been with you through thick and thin. And now is no different. Were offering Payment Options for current owners and our Service Departments are here to help. And for future owners, were offering no payments for 90 days on 14 models. This is help when you need it. And finally tonight, fighting tears of joy after the fight of her life. Thats 47yearold christina pause, surviving covid19 and receiving a sweet sendoff from the staff at Staten Island university hospital. Fighting the virus for more than two weeks away from family all that time. Until ev