FIGHTING COVID AS A FAMILY
Donation protected
Friends, Family and Strangers near and far
Hi! I’m Connie Vela and to say I never thought I would be writing a Go Fund Me request is an
understatement. I have always prided myself on being independent and maintaining my
household the best I could. I am not one to ask for help or be too open with my personal
struggles but this situation is different. This is not only about me but someone I care very deeply
about, my husband, Ernesto Vela.
For him I am willing to put aside my pride and ask for the help
we so desperately need. Ernie, as he is known to many, is a very kind person with a quick smile,
an awesome laugh and a great sense of humor. He tends to be quite private, mind his own
business and live a pretty low-key life. An avid sports enthusiast, he loves deeply and is a very
loyal friend, family member, father and husband.
On November 10th, a little over a week after
his 44th birthday, he began showing symptoms of COVID-19. Within a week, it became obvious
that his symptoms were not improving, in fact they were worsening. He was not eating, could
hardly sleep and overall just deteriorating health-wise. On November 18th, an ambulance was
called to our home as his breathing had become labored and his health had gone downhill so
much so that he was becoming delirious. When the EMT checked his oxygen levels, Ernie was
at 74%, far below the normal range of 95-100% for adults. Ernie was quickly transported to
Mercy Hospital in Muskegon where he was admitted. By November 19th, Ernie’s lung function
and breathing had gone down so much that it became necessary for him to be sedated and
placed on a ventilator, at that time requiring 100% oxygen. Due to him being hospitalized for
severe COVID-19, he was placed in isolation and was not allowed any visitors. Ernie was on a
paralytic, heavily sedated on a ventilator and being tube fed for 11 days before I could even visit
him. Those were some of the most stressful days of my life as I was faced with the unknown
and only allowed to telephone the Hospital for updates, which I admit I did often. During those
11 days, Ernie’s lungs showed COVID pneumonia, he was placed on numerous antibiotics for
various infections he was fighting, was on high doses of steroids, and was flipped from his back
to his belly to help with his breathing, oftentimes being on his belly for up to 16 hours a day. On
November 30th, he was evaluated by the Infectious Disease team at Mercy and cleared off
isolation. I was finally able to see him!! Walking into his room that day, I was NOT prepared for
what I saw.
Ernie was still deeply sedated, on a ventilator and surrounded by so many machines
and tubes that I had no idea what was going on. I’m not sure what I expected but this was not it.
On December 3rd, a sedation diet was started where sedation was lowered slowly while his
vitals were monitored closely for any issues. By December 5th it became apparent that Ernie
was not coming off sedation as well as medical staff had hoped. Two days later, I was informed
that Ernie had Critical Illness Myopathy, an extreme weakness of his limb and respiratory
muscles due to loss of muscle mass while sedated and on the ventilator. He was alert, aware
and off sedation 100% but was unable to move. Up to this point, Ernie was doing well enough
that it was thought that the ventilator would be removed in a few days but because of the Critical
Illness Myopathy that was no longer possible. Instead of having the ventilator removed, placing
a trach vent was now being discussed. The next day, on December 8th, Ernie underwent a
Tracheotomy in order to have a tracheostomy tube inserted. Over the next two weeks, Ernie
showed improvement but was still so weak. Doctors at Mercy sat me down and informed me
that Ernie would not be able to come home right away, in fact he was looking at months of
intense rehabilitation in order to regain his movements. On December 23rd, Ernie was moved to
Select Specialty Hospital in Battle Creek to begin rehabilitation. Up to this point, I was able to
visit Ernie daily since he was in Muskegon. Now he is almost 2 and a half hours away in Battle
Creek. It was at this point that I had to admit to myself that I needed help in this situation. Ernie’s
life changed dramatically the day he contracted COVID-19. He went from being 100%
independant to being fully dependent on strangers for his basic care within the matter of days.
Today is day 40 of Ernie being in a Hospital and day 39 of him being on a ventilator. He has so
far missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and soon New Years with his friends and family. I would like
to be there daily to support Ernie on his journey but right now that is just not possible. First of all,
I have a job that I need to be at. I am currently on Christmas Break from my work at a school
which means I am not being paid. Household bills, groceries, gas, and other necessities still
need to be paid for. Secondly, I am unable to make the 5 hour round trip daily from Shelby to
Battle Creek and back. There is just not enough time in the day to work, maintain a household
and still drive 280 miles daily. I have looked into Hotels near the Hospital to stay in on the
weekends but I am unable to sustain that cost for the amount of time Ernie will be rehabilitating.
I reached out to the Care Manager at Blodgett Hospital and was told they no longer offer
discounts at local hotels and due to COVID precautions, I am unable to stay overnight at the
Hospital with him. It breaks my heart everytime I leave him or cannot go visit.
This time is so
crucial for Ernie and he needs the support to maintain motivation and a healthy mental state. He
is looking at months of rehabilitation, which will not be easy, before we can make plans for him
to come home. Before he comes home, there are so many unknowns that need to be worked
out but first and foremost, home improvements will need to be made to help him be as
independent as possible. He will also need supplemental aids throughout this journey to help
make daily living easier. If the opportunity arises, I am hoping to move us somewhere closer to
my work so when Ernie does come home he will never be too far away from me. If this happens,
moving costs will need to be figured out. I am not sure what the future holds right now as we are
just at the beginning of our journey but I do know that although it has become much more
complicated in the past few weeks, I am willing to do whatever I can to make Ernie successful in
his rehabilitation and gain his independence back. Please help me make this possible!
Update 12/28-2021 - Today at 11:45am I was informed that Ernie had taken a sudden yet drastic
turn for the worse. I quickly packed a bag and raced to Battle Creek to be by his side. I was
devastated when I walked into Ernie’s room. A large blood clot had formed at the base of the
trach tube and he was no longer responsive. The Doctor came in to inform me that Ernie was in
multi-system organ failure. His lungs, kidneys and liver are all affected. The Doctor has given
Ernie a 10-15% chance of survival. I was told to inform the family and pray that he turns a
corner although he may not, according to the Doctor. I am so numb and heartbroken right now
Organizer
Ricki Helmer
Organizer
Muskegon, MI