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It was 6 years ago, but Adriana Glover remembers the day her husband nearly lost his leg - and his life - as if it were yesterday.
It was Victor Glover's 34th birthday and he didn't feel right. When he began feeling worse and sweating profusely, Adriana insisted that he go to the emergency room at
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center.
There, doctors discovered a serious situation unfolding. Victor had a pulmonary embolism - a blockage in an artery in the lungs - and had blood clots from his ankle to his kidneys. More of the clots breaking off could mean Victor's leg would need to be amputated or, worse, he could die. Sudden death occurs in one-quarter of people who experience pulmonary embolism, and one-third to one-half have long-term complications. Doctors and nurses stabilized Victor, and comforted his frightened wife and young daughter by celebrating his birthday with a cake in the ER.
Victor Glover's young daughter enjoys cake provided by the Sharp Chula Vista ER staff to celebrate his 34th birthday.
Victor was admitted to the ICU, where doctors worked delicately and with precision to slowly dissolve the clots, while preventing them from growing bigger or breaking off. After six terrifying days of the unknown, the Glover family received the best news of their life: Victor would walk out of the hospital on two feet. His caregivers had saved both his life and his leg.
The Glover family never forgot their Sharp Chula Vista heroes, as reminded by the blood thinner medication Victor has to take daily for the rest of his life. As Adriana read the news about the impact COVID-19 was having on Sharp Chula Vista, she thought of her family's health care heroes and wanted to do something to help. She
organized a fundraiser to feed the ER and ICU teams with meals from Chula Vista restaurants, and hoped to raise enough to also feed the hospital's housekeepers.
"When someone you love is in the hospital, all you care about is that person, but the whole time these amazing people were watching over my family, explaining everything to us. I didn't have time then to reflect on everything these people did for him. It had been on my heart for a long time to do something, and I now have the financial means to do it."
Victor Glover gives a thumbs up prior to being released from Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center.
One of the donors to Adriana's fundraiser is a patient recently discharged from Sharp Chula Vista after a life-threatening experience of his own. "I had emergency surgery due to herniated discs in my back that caused cauda equina syndrome," the patient shared. "I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the staff for their quick action that prevented permanent paralysis. I had a lengthy hospital stay, and my family and I are forever grateful for the care given to me."
"There are so many stories like ours in our community," Adriana says. "Because of these amazing caregivers, my husband was able to make it to his 40th birthday and see our only daughter turn 12."
Adriana has raised over $1,000 so far and had lunch from El Pollo Grill, a popular South Bay restaurant, delivered to 105 Sharp Chula Vista team members. She's not finished yet and hopes to raise more money to feed even more of these health care heroes.
To donate a meal to Sharp HealthCare staff, visit
sharp.com/coronavirus.
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