COVID can't stop Umana
To start from the beginning is a long story but lets start from the first day COVID hit the Umana family. Mr. Umana lived a pretty normal life up until he found out his wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Being told the love of his life would only live a few weeks was devastating on its own. The kids were all told that their mother would need to say good bye to them. They thought this was where their tragedy would end.
Two week later, Mr. Umana came into Howard County Community Hospital on December 6th 2020 with COVID symptoms. He immediately tested positive and was intubated the same night that he came in. Imagine being at home and not feeling well and within 24 hours, you have a tube down your throat breathing for you. The next thing he knew, it was January and he could not remember his journey. Mr. Umana supports his wife, his daughter and his two sons here in Columbia, MD. He owned his own roadside assistance company, he has children in school and a wife who is battling cancer. His family depends on him emotionally and financially.
The hospital stay alone is enough to crush even the most financially stable families. It is now June 2021, approaching his 49th birthday, and he is still battling the long term damage COVID has inflicted on him. In early January, Mr. Umana had a tracheostomy. This is a hole in his throat that is attached to a ventilator that breathes for him. He also had a feeding tube placed, he can no longer eat with his mouth, or taste his food. He is fed through a feeding pump with formula. Mr. Umana is completely alert and oriented, he is aware what is going on. He is bed bound, can no longer move his legs and is only able to move his arms enough to wave. When Mr. Umana woke up in January, he was told that his entire family had COVID while he was sedated the entire time. He was not able to be there for them, he was not able to financially support them and he was not able to take care of his wife and kids while they went through this trauma. His family has been at the bedside since the beginning. In addition, his company was no longer viable due to COVID and him being hospitalized. The Umana family had lost their main source of income and was still trying to support their dad while he was in a hospital bed.
In addition to the feeding tube and tracheostomy, Mr. Umana has had multiple complications while in the hospital. After six months of being hospitalized and in a bed for 24 hours a day, he is trying to learn to do the basics. He is able to wave when he sees his family come to visit him, he is able to mouth words to let everyone know what he needs. Most importantly, he can smile and say thank you. This is what makes him so special. Not a day passes that he does not smile and joke with staff members. He is in such a rough situation and continues to touch other people's lives.
One horrible day, June 1st, Mr. Umana stopped breathing and his heart stopped. For ten long minutes, doctors and nurses prayed while fighting for his life. Mr. Umana was not ready to leave his family without a father. After those 10 minutes he regained a pulse and was able to make eye contact with the team. His family was called to let them know that we almost lost him, but he was awake and of course... smiling. Mr. Umana has not only emotionally fought for his life but has also physically fought. He is doing grueling exercises daily. Imagine those 60 minutes that you spend on the treadmill or at the gym. When the exercise is over, you drink your water, take a break and relax. Mr. Umana is doing that exercise constantly. Moving his arms and his fingers is an excruciating exercise that takes so much energy from him. But he has to do it constantly just to be able to let people know when he is in pain, or when he needs something. His strength is unmatched. Over these six months he has come so far and accomplished so much. He is rebuilding muscle every day. He is fighting to be able to go home to fight for his wife and his children.
During this time, his 22 year old daughter has had to step up and support the family. Taking care of her mother with stage 4 cancer, taking her to appointments and supporting her along this journey takes up a lot of her time. The rest of her time is spent working to financially support her mother and two younger brothers, and coming to the hospital to help her father fight for some sort of normalcy. The highlight for the family is the handful of times that Mr. Umana has been stable enough to be wheeled to the front of the hospital to feel the fresh air on his face and see the sun the way he remembered it.
Not being medically stable enough to be transferred to a long term rehab facility he has many struggles ahead of him. That may either be a life in a hospital bed, a life in a motorized wheelchair or a life in a long term facility. None of these are what the family ever expected or wished for their dad.
Along this journey there have been exponential expenses that continue to devastate them. Although, their main concern is taking care of their mother and supporting their father, they still have to go to bed at night wondering how all of those bills will be paid. Their oldest daughter has given up all of her waking hours to keep her family together and their heads above water. She is 22 years old. These are the years she should be out partying with friends, taking college courses and trying to decide what she wants to do with her life. Instead, she is holding her dad's hand telling him she loves him while he is squeezing her hand back. Numerous times she has had to answer the phone to be told her dad will not make it through the night. Most of us hear our phone ring and get annoyed or excited, every time she hears her phone ring, her heart drops. She has rushed to the hospital countless times thinking she will see him for the last time, and only to say good bye. As a family, they continue to grow stronger and pull through.
This being said, if everyone could come together to give a little it would go a long way. To remove the financial burden from their lives would help them devote more time to supporting their family. This would give them more time with their mother and their father. Having one parent battle cancer can weigh on a family. But having your mom battle without your dad, and your dad fight for his life because of COVID without his wife is beyond comprehendible. This family needs our help, anything you can give would make a difference in their lives.
The Umana family wants to say thank you to the team who have worked hard for 24 hours straight every day to keep Mr. Umana alive and smiling.