A 73-year-old Alabama man died of a “cardiac event” after being taken out of dozens of hospitals in three states that had no beds available for the cardiac ICU, his family said. People are now being asked to be vaccinated to “release resources for non-COVID-related emergencies,” as the virus continues to rise in Alabama and other states.
Ray DeMonia, an antique dealer who ran his own store for four decades, died Sept. 1, three days before his 74th birthday, relatives said in an obituary.
Memorial of Dignity
They said emergency personnel at Cullman Regional Medical Center contacted 43 hospitals in three states in search of a cardiac ICU bed for DeMonia. On Monday, hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Malone confirmed that DeMonia was a patient at Cullman Regional Medical Center and told CBS News that she “needed medical services that were not available” at the hospital.
Eventually, according to his family, the hospital moved him to the Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, about 200 miles from his home, where he later died.
About the last months, hospitals in Alabama i nearby states as Texas, Mississippi. Louisiana and Florida have been struggling to cope with the growing number of Louisiana COVID-19 patients, often with few beds and staff.
With just over 40% of Alabama’s population fully vaccinated, among the lowest rates in the country, DeMonia’s family said she hoped more people would consider receiving the shot after hearing about her experience.
“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you don’t, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID-related emergencies,” DeMonia’s obituary said.
“I wouldn’t want any other family to live what they made their own.”