After testing positive for the coronavirus just a couple months ago, Desmon Silva seemingly made a full recovery.
But on July 16, he stopped breathing.
Doctors rushed to put Silva on a ventilator and by Saturday night, he was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital from Tampa, Florida on a private intensive care jet with hopes of treating a rare infection that has left him paralyzed from the neck down, Boston25 News reported.
“They basically said it is COVID-related because it’s triggered by a viral infection,” Barbara Bonnet, Silva’s mother — a Massachusetts resident — told the station. “What happened is it laid dormant in my son’s system, still testing negative, still without any symptoms, but it was still there.”
Hoping to ease the financial burden of his treatments and the extensive rehab bills he may face in the future, Brooke Griffin organized a GoFundMe page for Silva.
PLEASE GO VIRAL: I’m raising money for: Help Us Help Desmon Silva. Click to Donate: https://t.co/5nnYTLk7DN via @gofundme
— Griffi9️⃣5️⃣™ (@griffin_brooke) July 21, 2020
Nearly 2,500 people from around the country had donated to the campaign as of Sunday afternoon, garnering $108,449 of its $200,000 goal.
“Desmon has always been a lover, but now also a fighter,” Griffin wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “Despite his condition, Desmon remains full of life.”
A 22-year-old nurse, Silva had been working to save lives on the front lines in Florida until he began fighting for his own.
“Desmon’s smile could light up the skyway. His giggle could make waves ripple through oceans worldwide. His zest for life could move mountains,” Griffin wrote. “He will fight the fight to come back, but he has a long road ahead.”
Bonnet told 25 News that Boston doctors have tentatively diagnosed her son with transverse myelitis — an inflammation of both sides of the spinal cord — but she’s hopeful he’ll make a full recovery soon.
“Desmon needs to return to breathing and walking on his own, so that he is able to continue helping and healing people, living the big and the small moments of his young life, catching sunsets, seeking adventure, celebrating his accomplishments, and growing old with those he loves,” Griffin wrote in her post. “Des – we all are rooting for you.”
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