Horace Snell, Jr.

I lost my dad on February 28, 2015, from to sepsis due to pneumonia. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) He was an incredibly healthy 68-year-old man, walked and/or rode his bicycle several miles everyday, took great care of himself. In fact, I often teased him that he was in much better health than me, his 42-year-old daughter.

Beginning in the last weeks of January, 2015, Dad had what he believed was a sinus infection – upper respiratory illness, and was feeling pretty bad.But by my daughter’s birthday on February 7th, he was feeling good and had a great time at her birthday party. All was well, until he called me on February 21st, telling me he couldn’t catch his breath while walking from his bedroom to his bathroom. I immediately took him to an urgent health clinic (it was on a Saturday), where they run a series of chest x-rays. The on-call doctor was 68-years-old, like my dad, and was so concerned with what he saw that he sent my dad straight to the ER by ambulance.

Dad was admitted that night with pneumonia/upper respiratory distress. By Sunday evening he was in so much distress, even on 100% oxygen, he was moved to CCU. By Monday evening, the decision was made to sedate him and place him on a ventilator. The week progressed with some improvements…but I was preparing myself for a long haul, while they pumped every antibiotic into him to fight the lung infection.

They never could pinpoint what type of pneumonia he had, whether it was fungal, bacterial, or viral, so they gave him wide-spectrum antibiotics. But he wasn’t responding. I had been at the hospital all week, all day until the final visiting hour at night. Things were looking better on Thursday and Friday nights. They were able to wean him down on his vent, so at last I had hope that he was pulling out of it. Until I got a call from CCU at 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning saying that his blood pressure was dropping, and the medications they were giving him to bring it back up were not working.

I fell on my knees at his bedside, praying to God not to take him. I had lost my Mom 21 years ago to a stroke…she was 49 years old. I begged God to let Dad stay. But, at 12:09 p.m., Saturday, February 28th, I lost my dad. As I sit here and type this, I still cannot wrap my head around how quickly things spiraled out of control.

I always believed pneumonia was easily treated; I told Dad several times…trying to reassure him…that after a few days of IV antibiotics, fluids and rest…I would take him home. In my heart I believed my words to be true. But now I have seen what sepsis due to pneumonia can do. I have encouraged as many people over the age of 50 years to have their pneumonia vaccines. May God Bless you all…the survivors….and the ones of you that lost your loved ones.

Source: by Amanda Snell Wright (Horace's daughter)