A 6-year-old Hispanic girl will check out from the Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital this week, after surviving three heart attacks and being connected to an artificial respirator for two months.
The extraordinary story of Victoria Bermúdez, a girl who contracted the AH1N1 virus last February and who was close to dying has caught the attention of doctors and the public, since after two months of clinging to life she can finally return home and do the things she loves the most: dressing like a princess, dancing and gymnastics.
According to the Miami Herald, Victoria Bermúdez had to remain connected to an artificial respirator at the Miami Jackson Memorial Hospial, since doctors concluded that the only way to keep her alive was through extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a treatment carried out through a machine that does the work of heart and lungs while these organs recover.
The girl's symptoms began last February with slight fever and coughing; however, soon after Victoria's health began to deteriorate, and she was urgently interned at the Holtz Children's Hospital, where doctors discovered she suffered from a serious case of pneumonia.
"Sceptic shock, low blood pressure, unable to make oxygen reach her lungs, three heart attacks, that's about as close to death as you can get," said Dr. Barry Gelma while remembering the harsh process Victoria had to go through, according to NBC.
Judith Ferrer, the girl's mother, also remembered those difficult times and assured that "I felt like I was hit by a train. I remembering praying to the angels for entire nights. I just wanted someone to come and save my girl," the woman said.
But all of that is now in the past, and Victoria's doctors have reported that she will leave the hospital by the weekend and they expect the girl to fully recover.