My husband was basically sent home with cough medicine after being diagnosed with Covid pneumonia and the hospital knew he was at risk of dying. Two days later I had to call the paramedics to pick him up because he was so weak he couldn’t walk to the car and a week and a half he was never going to come home. He is survived by me and our 4 children.

Going to the ER at Torrance hospital Philip was diagnosed with pneumonia something he had a history of.  Sent home with cough syrup, Imodium and Dramamine.  A couple of days later his oxygen dropped to 83 and he struggled to breathe. Wanting to take a shower Anita became frustrated Philip wanted to shower, after a little while Philip was sitting on the couch barely audible he was not able to get up.

Anita unable to assist him to the car called 911 and paramedics arrived and one of the paramedics stated “oh great your going to infect us all”.  The chief says to Anita “ask for remdesivir it helped a buddy of mine”.  Taken to the Little Company of Mary in San Pedro where he was placed on hiflo  oxygen and sent straight to the ICU. Philip was worried and kept asking and texting Anita saying they are taking forever with medication he was obviously distressed. The first week he seemed to progress up until the Dr’s and Nurses changed.

Remdesivir was given a coupe of days stopped then started again. The communication went away on rotation change and they were not telling Anita anything that was transpiring stating “I cant give you any information” pushing she ask for the nurse floor manager.  The Doctor finally calls and states he’s going on a vent “just to give him a break because he’s tired Anita and he needs a break”.

Anita gets to facetime him prior but is unable to hear him over the machines. Soon after venting the charge nurse calls and asks Anita if  the Doctor has called her and wants to know if she is still Covid positive? If not she needs to come to the hospital. Asking why, Anita is told that Philip went into cardiac arrest after being vented. Anita arrives and a nurse was on the phone talking about the patient in room 111, Philips room, when another nurse indicated to her that Anita could hear, the nurse on the phone changes her tone and tells the person on the other end of the line “need to call you back” and the nurse tells her Philip went into cardiac arrest again and there was an air bubble in his lung.

Entering Philips room Anita reaches out to touch him, his skin ice cold, his eyes drifting in different directions. Anita didn’t want him to be a vegetable, she knew he wouldn’t want to live with disabilities after living such an active life. The guilt sets in thinking “I should have done something different” Philip was loved by so many his passion as a tattoo artist will live on with his art. Philip was the youngest of his family and loved by anyone who knew him.