 A husband and wife in the Twin Cities who both have ties to Bemidji are united in a fight against a serious disease. The Bemidji State alumnus and father has now been forced to celebrate the holidays in a rehab facility as he fights back against West Nile virus. 37-year-old Andy McBride has been paralyzed due to the infectious disease caused by a mosquito bite while camping in southern Minnesota. He thought it was a bad case of the flu but ended up in the hospital where a blood test confirmed it was West Nile. McBride woke from a coma and had to face full body paralysis in the loss of his voice. He called me my nickname by baby kickers. I knew that he was there and I often say to him you have the same mind, you have the same heart and the same soul that I married. Did not have West Nile in their radar. Doctors say it could take up to two years to see what gains Andy will make. He does about six hours of rehab every day but his family wants to eventually bring him home. To do so they will need to make some big changes to their home and buy a handicap accessible van to make that happen. They are using the hashtag team Andy on social media. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.