ONLY ON TODAY'S THV: Parents Of Teen With H1N1 Talk About His Battle To Recover

15-year-old Luke Duvall is still in the fight of his life. His parents have waited a week to share his story because his critical condition has stabilized and slowly progressed for the better. The Duvall's tell Today's THV he is over H1N1, the problem now, it turned into double pneumonia.

By all accounts, high school sophomore Luke Duvall is the son anyone would want.

Belinda says, "He is a straight A student." Chad adds, "He has the personality and the ability to do about anything he decides to do."

Belinda and Chad Duvall say their son's always been healthy; an all-star athlete. Until October 3rd, the day after playing in a football game he thought he was catching the flu.
Over that weekend, his fever shot up to 104. Monday, his family wheeled him into a clinic where a doctor diagnosed him with H1N1.

Chad explains, "Tuesday his fever actually broke and he started feeling a little bit better by Tuesday afternoon though he was going from being kind of sick to very sick to seriously sick. All of these while we were standing there watching, he was deteriorating rapidly."

Wednesday, Luke was airlifted to Arkansas Children's Hospital where doctors are keeping him completely sedated, on a ventilator and his lungs are not functioning on their own. "We don't expect him to be awake for quite sometime," Belinda says. Chad adds, "Just because he has so many I.V's, he is on the respirator and it is quite uncomfortable."

The Duvall's haven't left Luke's side in 14-days and say the last time he spoke was a week ago. Both parents says, "When you're dealing with pneumonia, you don't get in any hurry, you take it one day at a time, one step at a time and celebrate the little steps."

Doctors expect a full recovery. "Yes, that is all we want. That is what we're waiting for and we can't wait for that day to happen," Belinda smiles. Chad concludes, "There is still a full expectation that he is going to come home, be completely in tact, able to throw a baseball, play football all of those things. We just can't be in any hurry. So we will take it one day at a time."

The Duvall's say the outpouring of support from their Atkins community and strangers across the state have been phenomenal. Luke's grandmother is starting a website to keep people posted on his progress; you can find the link under the picture. The site is under construction.

When Luke recovers doctors say he may have to go through therapy because of weight and muscle loss. This Sunday, CBS's 60-Minutes is also covering Duvall's story.