REASONS HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY IS DUE TO A LACK OF SUPPLIES. KELSI: THAT’S RIGHT, DEANNA GOMEZ TOLD ME HER HUSBAND JUSTIN WAS FELI FLIGHTED TO ADVENTHEALTH IN ORLANDO LAST MONTH WITH SEVERE COVID, BUT WHEN HE GOT THERE, THEY REWE JUST AS SWAMPED AS THE SMALLER HOSPITAL HE CAME FROM. >> WE HAVE TDOO SOMETHING AAS COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT BETTER. KELSI: DEANNA GOMEZ IS SPEAKING OUT CALLING FOR MORE SUPPORT STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT AT HOSPITALS AFTER SHE SAYSER H HUSBAND DIED FROM COVID PTIN BECAUSE OF A LACK OF SUPPLIES. >> THIS IS A HOT SPOT HEREN I ORLANDO. THE HOSPITAL HAS 1700 BEDS AND ONLY 20 ECMO MACHINES, LIKE ATTH JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. KELSI: DEANNA SAYS HER WHOLE FAMILY CAUGHT COVID AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER BUT WHILE SHE AND HER KIDS QUICKLY RECOVERED HER HUSBAND JUSTIN DID NOT. >> HE ENDED UP GETTING PUT ON A VENTILATOR ON SEPTBEEMR 17. KELSI: SHE SAYS JUSTIN WAS TNHE LIFE-FLIGHTED FROM APOPKA TO ADVENTHEALTH IN ORLANDO. BUT WHEN THEY GOT THERE, SHE SAYS THAT HOSPITAL WASUS JT AS OVERWHELMED. >> I TRIED EVERYTHING. WE CONTACTED MULTIPLE NEWS STATIONS, MULTIPLE HOSPITALS TRYING TO FIND AN ECMO MACHINE FOR HIM AND IT WAS TOO LE.AT EHENDED UP PASSING AWAY ON THE 29TH. KELSI: I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE CURIOUS, WAS YOUR HUSBAND VACCINATED? >> NOT AT THAT TIME. KELSI: DEANNA TOLD ME THE FALYMI HAD DECIDED TO WAIT TO GET T VACCINE UNTIL AFTER JUSTIN WAS SCHEDULED TO FINISH A JOB THAT MONTH. >> I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT FOR THREE ST OF MY LIFE. KELSI: BUT EVEN WITH THAT BURDEN, DEANNA SAYS SHE STLIL LIBEEVES IF HER HUSBAND HAD ALL THE EQUIPMENT HE NEEDED TAT HOSPITAL HIS OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. >> THIS ISN’T FAIR AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER. WHETHEITR ’S BETTER, HIRING
Florida mother calls for support of hospitals after husband dies from COVID-19
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Updated: 9:00 AM PDT Oct 10, 2021
"We have to do something as a community to make it better,” Deanna Gomez said.Gomez is speaking out and calling for more support, staffing and equipment at hospitals in Florida after she says her husband died from COVID-19, in part, because of a lack of supplies."This is a hot spot here in Orlando. The hospital has 1,700 beds and only 20 ECMO machines, like that just doesn't make sense,” Gomez said.Deanna says her whole family caught COVID-19 at the beginning of September but while she and her kids quickly recovered, her husband Justin did not."He ended up getting put on a ventilator on Sept. 17,” Gomez said.She says Justin was then life-flighted from Apopka, Florida, to AdventHealth in Orlando. However, when they got there, she says that the hospital was just as overwhelmed."I tried everything. We contacted multiple news stations, multiple hospitals, trying to find an ECMO machine for him and it was too late. He ended up passing away on the 29th," Gomez said."I know a lot of people are going to be curious, was your husband vaccinated? Not at that time,” Gomez said.Gomez said the family had decided to wait to get the vaccine until after Justin was scheduled to finish a job that month."I have to live with that for the rest of my life," Gomez said.Even with that burden, Deanna says she still believes if her husband had all the equipment he needed at the hospital, his outcome may have been different."This isn't fair and we need to figure out how to make it better. Whether it's better, hiring more staff, funding, raising awareness. Whatever it may be, we have to do something,” Gomez said.Sister station WESH reached out to AdventHealth for a comment on staffing and supplies, but has not received a response yet.
APOPKA, Fla. — "We have to do something as a community to make it better,” Deanna Gomez said.
Gomez is speaking out and calling for more support, staffing and equipment at hospitals in Florida after she says her husband died from COVID-19, in part, because of a lack of supplies.
"This is a hot spot here in Orlando. The hospital has 1,700 beds and only 20 ECMO machines, like that just doesn't make sense,” Gomez said.
Deanna says her whole family caught COVID-19 at the beginning of September but while she and her kids quickly recovered, her husband Justin did not.
"He ended up getting put on a ventilator on Sept. 17,” Gomez said.
She says Justin was then life-flighted from Apopka, Florida, to AdventHealth in Orlando. However, when they got there, she says that the hospital was just as overwhelmed.
"I tried everything. We contacted multiple news stations, multiple hospitals, trying to find an ECMO machine for him and it was too late. He ended up passing away on the 29th," Gomez said.
"I know a lot of people are going to be curious, was your husband vaccinated? Not at that time,” Gomez said.
Gomez said the family had decided to wait to get the vaccine until after Justin was scheduled to finish a job that month.
"I have to live with that for the rest of my life," Gomez said.
Even with that burden, Deanna says she still believes if her husband had all the equipment he needed at the hospital, his outcome may have been different.
"This isn't fair and we need to figure out how to make it better. Whether it's better, hiring more staff, funding, raising awareness. Whatever it may be, we have to do something,” Gomez said.
Sister station WESH reached out to AdventHealth for a comment on staffing and supplies, but has not received a response yet.
