PLANO, Texas - A former Plano City Council member is warning North Texans about the dangers of West Nile Virus. It almost killed him.
An infected mosquito bite sent healthcare executive Ben Harris to Medical City Plano last year.
He had the life-threatening neuro-invasive form of West Nile and was paralyzed for a time. He could not breathe on his own.
“That was when it became real to me that I might be leaving this hospital without him. There was a very good chance he wasn't going to make it,” said his wife, Abby.
“All of this because of a mosquito,” Harris said.
He spent five weeks in the hospital and six months in rehab. He had to learn how to breathe, eat and walk on his own again.
Harris now promises to educate others on the prevention of West Nile Virus.