The husband of a woman who went to court to have his COVID-19 infections treated with ivermectin died Sunday evening, a week after he received his first dose of the controversial drug.
He was 52 years old.
Smith's wife went to court in order to get the hospital to treat her husband's infections with ivermectin. He died after taking two doses of the drug.
Smith had been in the intensive care unit at UMPC Memorial for nearly three weeks and had been in a medically coma since November 21. He was diagnosed with the virus in November.
His wife of 24 years, Darla, went to court to get her husband treated with ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has not been approved for treatment of COVID-19.
The decision of the York County Court Judge did not force the hospital to treat the patient with the drug, but it did allow Darla to have an independent physician administer it. The doctor stopped the treatment after he received two more doses.
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Darla wrote on the website caringbridge.org that her husband breathed his last breath around 7:45 pm.
He died with Darla and their two sons. Darla wrote that they had time to speak to him before he died. She wrote that her boys are strong. They are my solace.
The last moments.
She described his final moments.
She wrote that the nurses removed the cursed tube from his throat and he breathed on his own. The time between breaths became longer. His heart beat fast in his chest. Such a strong heart. His pulse went to zero, and his color went pale.
The man in that bed looked different than the one in the picture. He had a godforsaken vent attached to his face and was gaunt. He had a beard and mustache. His hair had grown out of his face.
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She was assisted by a group called Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, which promotes the use of iverm after reading about similar cases throughout the country.
The effectiveness of the drug in treating COVID-19 is not known and studies cited by its proponents have been dismissed as being biased. The National Institutes of Health does not recommend the use of the drug to treat COVID-19, as it has not been approved by the FDA. It is not included in the treatment protocols.
He got his first dose two days after Vedder made his decision. The doctor who oversaw the drug's administration ended the treatment after a second dose, as his condition deteriorated.
It was worth trying ivermectin because she was unsure if it could help her husband. The use of the drug was described as a last-ditch effort to save the life of the man. She wouldn't say if her husband had been shot.
She was angry with the hospital for refusing to give her the treatment and for delaying it for two days as the hospital wrestled with the meaning of the court order. UPMC had previously refused to reveal details of the case or treatment.
She wrote "I still love you" for the nurses at UPMC. She wrote that you cared for him for 21 days. You gave him the medicines the doctors prescribed. You cleaned him, groomed him, moved him, propped him up, dealt with every mess, smell, and trial. Everything. I appreciate you.
She wrote that she would only speak about UPMC at this time. You are incredibly lucky to have the nurses that you do. Treat them better.
An engineer, a Penn State fan and a Christian.
The vice president of the firm was a structural engineer. He was a fan of the Nittany Lions football team and a graduate of Penn State. His wife said that he enjoyed woodworking and skiing.
He was a Christian. His wife told a story about going to Baltimore. The family had passed a homeless man on the sidewalk, and as Darla and his sons walked ahead,Keith stopped to speak to him, and gave the man some money. Darla chastised him for it, saying the man was just going to spend the money on drugs, but he told her he wanted to help him, a demonstration of his faith.
The photo of Darla and her husband was attached to her lawsuit.
If heaven is real, just as God should be real, but He chose to not reveal Himself, I will never understand why.
Her husband's death has made Darla rethink her faith.
And God? She wrote that the remains to be seen. We may never be again at the moment because we are not on speaking terms. I don't know. We are where we are.
I would like to erase all of this.
She was looking for signs. She wrote that she saw a pack of deer in the yard of her family's home in the Out Door Country Club area of Manchester Township. She wrote that it was weird, a sight she had never seen before.
She spoke to the mother of the man who lives in South Carolina and she told her that a group of wild turkeys had appeared in their yard earlier in the week. A rose bloomed right outside a window despite the temperatures dropping into the 20s at night. She wrote that no one could explain why a massive rose would pop up and stay in place. We thought it was a sign. I thought a lot of things were not normal.
She wrote that she didn't want to remember her husband in that bed with the tube stuck in his throat. I want to remove the IVs, wires, and feeding tube. I want to end this.
She wrote that she picked up a prescription the day before Thanksgiving. I could have given him the drug on the run. They would have caught me. She said she prepared the drug in a cup and hid it in the hospital before the court ruled on her lawsuit. She wrote that she didn't do it. It will be a cloak of guilt that will cover me in shame.
She waited for the stupid court order, a nine-day delay from the date she picked up the script. UPMC played nasty, vile, wicked games for two days.
She wrote that the only thing keeping her upright is hate and venom. Don't lecture me. You know what this feels like if you've been through it. Don't hold your breath, I'm pretty nasty when cornered, so I hope it is momentary. Drop to your knees and thank God that he hasn't dumped this on you. Thanks to your lucky stars. Do not judge or lecture me. For God's grace, go there. Trust me, you don't want this burden.
She concluded, "My heart will always have a hole in it." It will not go away. I will not see him until I die.
Mike Argento has worked for the Daily Record since 1982. He can be reached at mike@ydr.com.
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