After 43 hospitals in three states refused to admit him due to full cardiac ICUs, the family of a Mississippi man who died from heart problems is now asking for people to get COVID-19 vaccinations.
Ray Martin DeMonia, a Meridian, Mississippi native, died last week. His family stated that he was just three days short of his 74th Birthday and was a well-known native from Cullman, Alabama.
DeMonia was suffering from a heart attack and the emergency crew at Cullman Regional Medical Center had no choice but to transport him to the closest available bed. This was almost 200 miles away at a Mississippi Hospital.
DeMonias' family encouraged people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in his obituary.
To honor Ray, please get your vaccines if you haven't. This will help free up resources to deal with non-COVID related emergencies. Ray would not wish for any other family members to experience the same thing he did.
Ray DeMonia was unlike any other, as his obituary stated.
Ray Martin DeMonia (73), of Cullman, died Sept. 1, 2021.
DeMonia worked in the antiques industry in Alabama for 40 years.
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On Thursday, Alabama had 60 more ICU patients than beds. 51% of those patients tested positive for COVID-19.
More than 40.6 million COVID-19 confirmed cases have been reported in the United States. This includes more than 655,800 deaths. The virus' delta variant has caused a surge in cases in certain areas of the country over the past few months.
Hadley Hitson is a reporter covering the rural South for Report for America and Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at hhitson@gannett.com
This article was originally published on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama man is killed by cardiac arrest after 43 hospitals refuse to admit him
