In late July, Pepe Forina spent two weeks in a Texas hospital ICU battling COVID-19. At the end of those two weeks, doctors told Forina’s family that his condition had worsened and he was not expected to live for much longer. According to doctors and his family, Forina miraculously made it through the night. However, the toll the virus had taken on his body, exacerbating his existing diabetes, meant that Forina’s feet had developed sepsis. Forina told KRGV 5 that his feet were black: “It was either amputate my feet and live, or leave them on and die. So it was a no-brainer."
The 54-year-old had both legs amputated below the knee. Dr. Federico Vallejo, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at DHR Health, told KVEO, “Either way you look at it he shouldn’t be alive. The odds were against him. It’s actually quite amazing that he had recovered.” Dr. Vallejo also told the news outlet that for many people with similar health histories, Forina’s amputations were not uncommon after suffering with COVID-19. “COVID itself can cause blood clots, we know 15% will have it. Then the use of medications to try to protect the heart and the brain.”
Forina’s physical therapists are now in the process of trying to rebuild his stamina back to the point where he can be taken care of at home. They’re building his strength, hoping that after his surgery wounds heal he will be strong enough to get fitted for prosthetics. Right now, as physical therapist Julian Salinas told the Monitor, “He’s required 24-hour nursing care for a while since his admission here — requiring in essence bathing, dressing and going to the bathroom, all of those things. What we’re shooting for primarily is for him to be able to get up from the bed on his own, transition to the wheelchair on his own, transition to the bathroom on his own mostly under his own power as opposed to us doing most of the work.”
Forina was not vaccinated against the virus. He says the only reason he can give is “stupidity,” telling the Monitor, “There’s still people out there that don’t want to get it done, so I’m not going to push it on any of you guys if you’re not vaccinated and tell you you have to do it. I didn't believe in it. It's a choice, a choice that I made poorly. Learn from me, and hopefully you won't be in the same situation that I'm in." Forina is lucky, and has a new lease on life and a wife and child and a brother that will be happy to take care of him. Some people aren’t so lucky.
Early on during the pandemic, back in April 2020, Broadway theater star Nick Cordero made headlines after his weeks-long battle with COVID-19 resulted in him needing to have his leg amputated. Only a few months later, millions of people were sending their best wishes to his family after Cordero passed away from COVID-19 at the age of 41.
COVID-19 is deadly. We have seen the death toll dwarf all previous casualties our country has faced, including world wars and previous pandemics. Life expectancy numbers have been affected as a result of the Trump administration and current Republican leadership’s botched pandemic response. But one thing that isn’t fully appreciated by many on the right is that while most people don’t die from COVID-19 if they’ve caught it, most people don’t die of anything they’ve caught, besides possibly the Black Plague. However, for every person that survives or dies as a result of contracting the virus, there are countless people whose lives are forever changed for the worse.
Related: MAGA political cartoonist confirms he has COVID, says he's treating it with beet juice and zinc
Related: Anti-vaxx Chronicles: She thought essential oils and supplements were cures
Related: U.S. life expectancy has fallen by a full year due to COVID-19, and 2.7 years for Black Americans
The 54-year-old had both legs amputated below the knee. Dr. Federico Vallejo, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at DHR Health, told KVEO, “Either way you look at it he shouldn’t be alive. The odds were against him. It’s actually quite amazing that he had recovered.” Dr. Vallejo also told the news outlet that for many people with similar health histories, Forina’s amputations were not uncommon after suffering with COVID-19. “COVID itself can cause blood clots, we know 15% will have it. Then the use of medications to try to protect the heart and the brain.”
Forina’s physical therapists are now in the process of trying to rebuild his stamina back to the point where he can be taken care of at home. They’re building his strength, hoping that after his surgery wounds heal he will be strong enough to get fitted for prosthetics. Right now, as physical therapist Julian Salinas told the Monitor, “He’s required 24-hour nursing care for a while since his admission here — requiring in essence bathing, dressing and going to the bathroom, all of those things. What we’re shooting for primarily is for him to be able to get up from the bed on his own, transition to the wheelchair on his own, transition to the bathroom on his own mostly under his own power as opposed to us doing most of the work.”
“I didn't believe in it. It's a choice, a choice that I made poorly. Learn from me, and hopefully you won't be in the same situation that I'm in."
Forina was not vaccinated against the virus. He says the only reason he can give is “stupidity,” telling the Monitor, “There’s still people out there that don’t want to get it done, so I’m not going to push it on any of you guys if you’re not vaccinated and tell you you have to do it. I didn't believe in it. It's a choice, a choice that I made poorly. Learn from me, and hopefully you won't be in the same situation that I'm in." Forina is lucky, and has a new lease on life and a wife and child and a brother that will be happy to take care of him. Some people aren’t so lucky.
Early on during the pandemic, back in April 2020, Broadway theater star Nick Cordero made headlines after his weeks-long battle with COVID-19 resulted in him needing to have his leg amputated. Only a few months later, millions of people were sending their best wishes to his family after Cordero passed away from COVID-19 at the age of 41.
COVID-19 is deadly. We have seen the death toll dwarf all previous casualties our country has faced, including world wars and previous pandemics. Life expectancy numbers have been affected as a result of the Trump administration and current Republican leadership’s botched pandemic response. But one thing that isn’t fully appreciated by many on the right is that while most people don’t die from COVID-19 if they’ve caught it, most people don’t die of anything they’ve caught, besides possibly the Black Plague. However, for every person that survives or dies as a result of contracting the virus, there are countless people whose lives are forever changed for the worse.
Related: MAGA political cartoonist confirms he has COVID, says he's treating it with beet juice and zinc
Related: Anti-vaxx Chronicles: She thought essential oils and supplements were cures
Related: U.S. life expectancy has fallen by a full year due to COVID-19, and 2.7 years for Black Americans