Covid19 relief for frontline Nurse

My dad Jerry Alvarez is a nurse who got ill working. He always had so much joy in caring for others and was grateful everyday to provide care for others. He is a caring, kind and compassionate nurse to all his patients. He always went out his way for his patients and coworkers to do the right thing and to always help out. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 which developed into pneumonia in both of his lungs. Over the last few months he has developed and suffered through many health issues. Each and everyday my dad has fought to get stronger and to be alive. 

After 7 months of being in hospitals and facilities my dad is being sent home due to the rise of Covid cases and they believe my dad has a better chance of avoiding another possible reinfection  of Covid-19 and other nosocomial infections. With him coming home to live with me he will not have the same access to health care and medical supplies. I would have to supply him with wound care supplies, supplies for hygiene that will allow him to get clean in bed, walking devices, orthotics, device to help him get up the stairs, and other medical supplies and devices as needed. We will have to start paying for Medical treatment and transportation. This includes nurses, CNA’S, occupational and  physical therapy coming to my home. As well for doctor visits. As well from being out of work he would need financial assistance for all of his mortgage and bills. I have tried to be able to cover his finances with what I could but I am in need of help for my dad. Anything would be a blessing and sharing this so people could help my dad would mean everything to us. I am just so grateful for my dad to be alive I didn’t want to ask for help sooner with everyone being affected some how by Covid-19. It’s been a hard year for all of us so thank you for taking the time to just share and get to know my Dads story. Thank you so much.

*** A SUMMARY OF HIS FIGHT***

He was infected with Covid-19 in early May. On May 9th he was positive with Covid after presenting only a slight cough. Days later his symptoms were getting worse and it was difficult for him to breathe. On May 14th I called an ambulance for him from South Carolina while he was in Bakersfield, Ca after being diagnosed at the doctors office with double pneumonia due to the Covid-19. He then was intubated on May 20th. That was a day I will never forget as I never felt fear, anger, sadness and pain. I was told my dad only had an 8%- 10% chance of survival. I refused to believe my dad was going to allow this to take his life. Four weeks passed by and I had to make the decision to either keep him intubated or to allow them to perform a tracheostomy to have the ventilator attached to the tracheostomy. I decided to do it because I wanted to give my dad a chance to wake up without to have more damage from being intubated and because they did not believe he was going to wake up anytime soon. Days after Father’s Day his heart stopped, and they gave me a call they were doing all they could to keep him alive. They were able to get him stable but the fight didn’t stop there. He had to fight the Covid and double pneumonia,  fibrosis, bedsores, infections, blood clots and his vitals were always a fight for doctors, nurses and respiratory techs. He fought and fought. He was positive with Covid for two months. He was in the icu from May 16th to August 17th. After the ICU he was in a ventilator unit as he still needed it. He dealt with mainly bedsores, infections, neurology issues and still not being able to move his body. In September he started speech therapy and physical therapy and on 9/10 it was the first time I heard his voice in months. On 9/18 he finally got off the ventilator and was able to use different oxygen modes. After that the fight was bedsores, physical therapy, speech therapy, infections, neurology and mental health issues. Everyday my dad fought and fought to get stronger and all he wanted was to get home. He has total and complete damage to his lungs. It has been difficult for him to be without oxygen. On 11/20 he took his first steps. It has been a long battle for him. A fight for his life every single day but I am so proud of him. He still deals with bedsores and getting stronger to live a normal life but I have faith he will get there.