On-screen, Days of our Lives' Greg Vaughan (Eric Brady) is a new father to an adopted baby boy but doesn't even know his son is also biologically his, which is par for the course on a soap opera. Off-screen, Vaughan is a single dad to three teenage boys and just experienced his own soapy experience when a vacation with his sons took a dire turn.
Vaughan took to Instagram to explain just what happened.
"Father & Sons Colorado Spring Break! Here it goes! I was feeling somewhat tired after 1day, experiencing shortness of breath climbing a few flights of stairs, wheezy, some congestion after some cold snowy conditions, and a headache developing," he wrote next to a photo of himself in a medical facility.
Vaughan medicated himself to try to get some sleep and be ready for another adventure the next day, but that adventure wasn't meant to be as he took a turn for the worse the next morning.
"Unfortunately, it was a night of tossing, turning, no sleep, coughing, dry heaving & my head felt like it was in a walnut cracker! Disappointedly, morning arrived & I had to tell my boys, plus our friends who just arrived, I was staying home to rest & be my best for our final days to come!"
Sadly, his condition continued declining, so he finally went to the urgent care and got some shocking news.
"I learned that I was experiencing severe altitude sickness! My Blood Oxygen was at 54% & my lungs were full of fluids!" Vaughan wrote. "Blood oxygen, also known as oxygen saturation, represents the percentage of hemoglobin in your red blood cells that is carrying oxygen. Most people have an oxygen level of 95-100%."
Thankfully, the doctors were able to help, and Vaughan offered an update on his condition in another post that also illustrated his devotion to his sons and their happiness.
"Well, 4 hrs later, a couple of bags of IV & oxygen tank strapped to my face, I was told that I needed to immediately get off the mountain!" he said. "However I couldn't, we still had another day to go & wanting the boys to enjoy their last day on the hilltops! I opted to go home with an oxygen tank, a good laugh for everyone, and I know will follow, but my boys looked after their old man & fortunately they had friends on this trip!"
Several of Vaughan’s co-stars filled up his feed with love and get well wishes. "Oh honey! I’m so sorry,” wrote Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans). “My brother… I know you got at least 9 lives left, but take a breather," Robert Scott Wilson (Alex) added. “Damn! Glad you went to urgent care and got it figured out!" commented Brandon Beemer (ex-Shawn). And Martha Madison (ex-Belle) said, “So glad you are ok."
Vaughan joined Days of our Lives in 2012 after stops at The Young and the Restless and General Hospital. Vaughan said he turned down a DAYS role in 2011 because the role "wasn't on the same level" as what he was looking for.
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