Photo: GettyA Washington man is apologizing to the healthcare workers who saved his life after nearly dying from COVID-19 when he was unvaccinated.Richard Soliz of Seattle battled the coronavirus for about a month at the Harborview Medical Center, spending 28 days hooked up to a ventilator and heart monitor, according to theWashington Post. After recovering from COVID, Soliz went back to the facility late October to apologize to staff for not being vaccinated and share his appreciation after reflecting on his time in the hospital.“My goodness, they saved my life,” Soliz told the outlet. “In hindsight, I felt bad. And I knew in my heart, in my mind and my consciousness, that it all could’ve been avoided.“Soliz said he is one of many who opted not to get the vaccine due to thespread of misinformationon social media.“It was just not knowing, and what I did know was confusing and contradictory, so when a person is not totally convinced of something and doesn’t have the proper information to determine a yay or nay, perhaps they’ll do what I did and do nothing,” Soliz said,WVTM13reports.Dr. James Town, a pulmonologist and director of the medical ICU at Harborview, told the local news station that about 99 of 100 patients admitted to the facility for COVID-19 had not been vaccinated when Soliz was admitted.Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Soliz — who is now fully vaccinated — still suffers from lung damage and doctors said he could start seeing some healing in about six months, according to theWashington Post. Soliz recalled being “on my deathbed” in the hospital and is now using his experience to urge others to get the COVID vaccine before it’s too late.“I am certain that there is truth to this virus, and not being vaccinated leaves you vulnerable to the extent of possibly really taking a person’s life,” Soliz said, per WVTM. “I personally know that, because I was not vaccinated. I did not act, I wasn’t certain, and I nearly lost my life.“He continued, “That’s the most scariest and vulnerable feeling that I’ve ever had in my whole life …I don’t want that to happen to anybody.“As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
Photo: Getty
A Washington man is apologizing to the healthcare workers who saved his life after nearly dying from COVID-19 when he was unvaccinated.Richard Soliz of Seattle battled the coronavirus for about a month at the Harborview Medical Center, spending 28 days hooked up to a ventilator and heart monitor, according to theWashington Post. After recovering from COVID, Soliz went back to the facility late October to apologize to staff for not being vaccinated and share his appreciation after reflecting on his time in the hospital.“My goodness, they saved my life,” Soliz told the outlet. “In hindsight, I felt bad. And I knew in my heart, in my mind and my consciousness, that it all could’ve been avoided.“Soliz said he is one of many who opted not to get the vaccine due to thespread of misinformationon social media.“It was just not knowing, and what I did know was confusing and contradictory, so when a person is not totally convinced of something and doesn’t have the proper information to determine a yay or nay, perhaps they’ll do what I did and do nothing,” Soliz said,WVTM13reports.Dr. James Town, a pulmonologist and director of the medical ICU at Harborview, told the local news station that about 99 of 100 patients admitted to the facility for COVID-19 had not been vaccinated when Soliz was admitted.Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Soliz — who is now fully vaccinated — still suffers from lung damage and doctors said he could start seeing some healing in about six months, according to theWashington Post. Soliz recalled being “on my deathbed” in the hospital and is now using his experience to urge others to get the COVID vaccine before it’s too late.“I am certain that there is truth to this virus, and not being vaccinated leaves you vulnerable to the extent of possibly really taking a person’s life,” Soliz said, per WVTM. “I personally know that, because I was not vaccinated. I did not act, I wasn’t certain, and I nearly lost my life.“He continued, “That’s the most scariest and vulnerable feeling that I’ve ever had in my whole life …I don’t want that to happen to anybody.“As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
A Washington man is apologizing to the healthcare workers who saved his life after nearly dying from COVID-19 when he was unvaccinated.
Richard Soliz of Seattle battled the coronavirus for about a month at the Harborview Medical Center, spending 28 days hooked up to a ventilator and heart monitor, according to theWashington Post. After recovering from COVID, Soliz went back to the facility late October to apologize to staff for not being vaccinated and share his appreciation after reflecting on his time in the hospital.
“My goodness, they saved my life,” Soliz told the outlet. “In hindsight, I felt bad. And I knew in my heart, in my mind and my consciousness, that it all could’ve been avoided.”
Soliz said he is one of many who opted not to get the vaccine due to thespread of misinformationon social media.
“It was just not knowing, and what I did know was confusing and contradictory, so when a person is not totally convinced of something and doesn’t have the proper information to determine a yay or nay, perhaps they’ll do what I did and do nothing,” Soliz said,WVTM13reports.
Dr. James Town, a pulmonologist and director of the medical ICU at Harborview, told the local news station that about 99 of 100 patients admitted to the facility for COVID-19 had not been vaccinated when Soliz was admitted.
Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Soliz — who is now fully vaccinated — still suffers from lung damage and doctors said he could start seeing some healing in about six months, according to theWashington Post. Soliz recalled being “on my deathbed” in the hospital and is now using his experience to urge others to get the COVID vaccine before it’s too late.
“I am certain that there is truth to this virus, and not being vaccinated leaves you vulnerable to the extent of possibly really taking a person’s life,” Soliz said, per WVTM. “I personally know that, because I was not vaccinated. I did not act, I wasn’t certain, and I nearly lost my life.”
He continued, “That’s the most scariest and vulnerable feeling that I’ve ever had in my whole life …I don’t want that to happen to anybody.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
