BEAUMONT, Texas — Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie is ready to return to work after a long fight with COVID-19. It's taken him months to get back to full strength. He spoke with 12News on Friday about his plans at city hall, and he's pushing Port Arthur residents to get vaccinated.
Mayor Bartie describes his journey with COVID-19 as a near death experience that brought him to his knees in prayer. Fresh off his battle, he has decided to speak out to try to inspire others to make wise decisions.
This is a moment the Port Arthur mayor has long awaited. “When you have an assignment, you want to complete it,” Bartie said.
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Bartie has not been able serve as mayor for nearly three months. He was battling COVID-19, questioning if he would survive.
"I'm a believer, and I know He spared me. It was like death hovering over my head. Man, I'm being diagnosed, I'm being pumped with oxygen, I'm feeling so badly that I couldn't even describe it. It's like I wasn't even there."
As of Friday, he has to carry around oxygen tanks and pulse readers. But that won’t stop him from getting back to work, leading the charge to increase vaccine participation across Port Arthur.
"I would want others who have made that decision that they just don't want to take it, please consider taking it,” Bartie said.
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Jefferson county leaders have been making a push to get more of the Black and Latinx community vaccinated, which is why Bartie says he decided to publicly roll up his sleeve.
“I publicly took mine because I wanted to show everybody if I'm go be a leader I have to lead by example," Bartie said.
Although our numbers are trending in the right direction, Bartie is concerned that the expiration of the statewide mask mandate could undo the progress that's been made.
"Don't get so caught up in the holiday and the celebratory method or practices that's connected with it, and forget it's still a pandemic. I don't care what Governor Abbott says,” Bartie said.
Cautionary words from a man who says he didn't know if he would live long enough to tell his story.
"After having that near-death experience, I'm just thankful, can't take this for granted," Bartie said.
Bartie said all signs point toward him making a full recovery from COVID-19, but it's going to take some time.
