Jacksonville guy in ICU with COVID-19 hoping to get lifesaving therapy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 40-12 months-old Jacksonville male is battling for his everyday living versus COVID-19 as he retains out for a lifesaving technological know-how.

Shane Oneal’s battle from COVID-19 commenced 2 and a 50 % weeks ago.

“They right away put him on oxygen. They commenced steroids, they started off antibiotics mainly because he had COVID pneumonia,” mentioned Kylie Dean, Oneal’s daughter.

Dean is an ICU nurse and is expecting with his initially grandchild, a newborn boy.

“I’m hoping to continue to be hopeful for my father because I see the outcomes that COVID has on individuals,” claimed Dean.

She gained a cellular phone get in touch with on Thursday that her father was transferring to the intensive treatment unit.

“‘Just contacting to enable you know, we just intubated your father.’ Of training course, the quite last detail he mentioned was, ‘Call my daughter and tell her what is likely on.’ He’s on the max guidance that a ventilator can get,” said Dean.

Within hours of intubating him, Dean reported, she acquired her father was a applicant for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, also recognised as ECMO.

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“ECMO basically bypasses my dad’s coronary heart and lungs and filters his blood for him. Oxygenates get rid of the carbon dioxide, all of these matters,” mentioned Dean. “It enables his heart and his lungs to rest.”

Sadly, the medical center Oneal is at does not have ECMO beds. Dean claimed UF Wellbeing and Mayo Clinic have ECMO, but none are readily available. UF Health officials told Information4Jax the medical center has two ECMO beds, but they are at this time staying made use of.

“His survival price ideal now is 25 to 29 p.c. With ECMO, it would place him closer to the 60-p.c vary,” claimed Dean. “He only has a one organ failure appropriate now, which is his lungs. It could be a matter of time prior to it turns into multi-organ failure and perhaps not turn out to be a prospect for ECMO.”

Dean mentioned she has made calls to other facilities with ECMO across the country. She is praying a bed will open up soon so her father can meet up with his 1st grandchild.

Dean mentioned the healthcare facility her father is at is also supporting them check out to come across an ECMO mattress.

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She claimed that a week before her father was meant to get the vaccine was when he contracted COVID-19.