‘Passionate and loving’ hospital’s chief says patients are ‘happy’
MICHIGAN — The heartwarming story of a Florida hospital where one patient was so devastated by an illness she couldn’t even sleep that she became the victim of an arsonist was told by a medical center chief to “never again.”
The story of Melissa DeMarco, a 23-year-old college student who came to the Florida Hospital for Children (FHC) in Winter Haven, was one of the most-watched on TV Monday, with thousands of people watching online.
In a video posted on Facebook, FHC CEO Dr. Mark Pletcher spoke of DeMarco’s “heartwarming and loving” experience.
He told the crowd that DeMarco came in to see a pediatrician last fall, which was the first time he had ever seen her.
DeMarco was rushed to the emergency room after a fever and severe headaches.
DeMarco said that her mother had told her she was having a seizure and she was so scared that she left her seat to get out of the car.
When she came back, she found that she had been burned to death.
When she woke up the next day, DeMarco was still in her bed.
She had suffered burns on her body and was diagnosed with “pseudotumor cerebri.”
Her story was featured in the March 15 episode of “Cars 2.”
The episode aired on Fox Business Network.
DeMarcus was admitted to the hospital after she was treated for a fever of 104 degrees.
Doctors said her condition was so severe that she needed an operation to remove her tongue and her lips were fused together.
DeMarc’s mother, who lives in New York, told ABC News that her daughter was “just in tears” after her condition became severe.
“I have no words,” said her mother, Linda DeMarco.
“It was a nightmare, it was like I never knew how much pain I was going to go through.”
DeMarco’s mother says she was told that DeMarc’s condition was “probably the worst in her life.”
DeMarcus, who was born in the Dominican Republic, said she had “been living in a world where I was the only one who could speak Spanish.”
She said she was also bullied and teased.
She also was forced to take a medication that made her extremely weak and depressed.
DeMario’s mother said she went into the emergency department with DeMarco because she was concerned for her daughter’s health.
She told ABC affiliate WGCL-TV that she was shocked when she got there that DeMario was not breathing.
“She was lying there on the floor with a bandage over her face, with no blood,” Linda DeMarc said.
“She was crying so hard she couldn`t speak.”
DeMario died two days later.
“The first thing that came to my mind was ‘I’m going to die,'” Linda DeMario said.
DeMaria DeMarco says she still feels bad that she lost her daughter, but she is thankful that her son had a “life of joy and a happy heart.”
“It`s really hard to look at what happened to my daughter and not be angry with her,” she said.
The hospital said that while the fire was “unintentional” DeMarco died from her injuries.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pletcher said DeMarco`s condition was not “severe.”
“Melissa`s life was saved,” Pletcher told the AP.
“Her mother was so worried for her safety.
We did everything possible to make sure she had the best care.”
Pletcher said he was not aware of the type of fire that caused DeMarco to lose her life, but said the hospital would “never make that mistake again.”
P Fletcher told WGCl-TV he was sorry to hear about DeMarco and said that the hospital was doing a lot to try to ensure her safety after the incident.
P Fletcher also said that although the hospital`s emergency department is open to patients with any medical condition, De Marco`s was not one of them.
He said De Marco was not treated for any medical conditions that may have contributed to her death.
The fire at the Florida hospital is the latest in a string of incidents at Florida hospitals in recent years.
In March, a nurse was arrested after allegedly threatening staff members with a knife.
In January, a Florida police officer was accused of threatening to kill a patient at a local hospital and stealing the patient`s wallet.
In August, a nursing home nurse allegedly attempted to kill patients with a lethal dose of drugs after they were admitted to her facility.