Coronavirus survivor meets Fort Worth priest who may have helped save his life
A 42-year-old man who was hospitalized for 21 days with coronavirus met the Fort Worth priest who donated plasma to help save his life on Wednesday.
Jose Martinez spent 11 days on a ventilator at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 20, the hospital said in a news release.
“It’s a horrible and strange disease, because you’re alone during this sickness – either at home or in the hospital. Some people die, not evening knowing what happened because they’re on a ventilator,” Martinez said in the hospital’s news release. “Hearing those words from my family was what I desperately needed. It gave me strength and comfort.”
Martinez’s care team started him on a five-day treatment plan, but his oxygen levels kept dropping until he had to be put on a ventilator in the ICU.
“It started to become a blur after that to me,” Martinez said. “I deteriorated pretty quick to where they had to put me on the ventilator. Once I’m on that, you’re basically in an induced coma.”
His doctor, Dr. John Burk, knew Martinez needed more help to fight the virus. He talked with the family about COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy.
“It’s a meticulous process that’s done on a case-by-case basis, but it’s one that is often used as a last resort for critically ill patients, such as Mr. Martinez,” Burk said in the news release.
People who have recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies to the disease in their blood, according to the Mayo Clinic. The blood from people who’ve recovered is called convalescent plasma, and early research shows it can help people with severe COVID-19 boost their ability to fight the virus.
Martinez’s family decided to try the treatment, but the next step was finding someone with Martinez’s blood type who had recovered from coronavirus.
The Rev. Robert Pace was the first person to test positive for COVID-19 in Tarrant County. Pace, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, was admitted to the hospital in early March and spent about two weeks in quarantine.
When he recovered, Pace became one of the first people in the state to donate their plasma.
“Knowing that something as simple as giving plasma could make a difference was — the word I’m looking for is it was a blessing,” Pace said.
Luckily for Martinez, Pace’s blood was a match.
On March 29, doctors used Pace’s plasma to treat Martinez, who was still on a ventilator. At the time, Martinez was one of the first COVID-19 patients in Texas to undergo CCP therapy.
After the infusion, he improved daily, and on April 3, he was taken off the ventilator. By April 6, he was breathing completely on his own and four days later, he left the hospital.
Meeting each other
On Wednesday, two-months since Martinez was hospitalized with coronavirus, he was finally well enough to return to Texas Health Fort Worth. He was able to meet the man whose plasma helped save his life and reunite with the doctor who treated him.
Martinez said he and Pace talked about their backgrounds, and he thanked him for “the selfless act” of donating his plasma.
When Pace donated plasma, he said he never expected to meet the person who received it. He described the meeting as “one of the more joyful occasions of my life.”
“I did not even know who received it until last week when they called and said ‘The plasma recipient wants to meet you,’” Pace said. “And I said, ‘So it worked?’ and he said ‘Yes, in fact, it did.’”
Pace and Martinez wore masks as they met and talked outside Texas Health Fort Worth. Pace met Martinez’s sisters and mother and spoke with Burk about Martinez’s recovery.
Pace said it was humbling to know “that the simple action of donating plasma was able to help save someone ‘s life.”
“If we can do anything to help those who are suffering from this, I think we need to do whatever we can.” he said. “Whether it’s giving plasma or maintaining social distancing or wearing masks.”.
Martinez said the virus is particularly hard on people’s loved ones because they are not able to see or visit them, and he hopes his story will give hope to other patients and families.
“There are positive outcomes,” he said.
Texas Health Resources is working to find more patients who have recovered from coronavirus and are able to donate COVID-19 convalescent blood plasma – just as Pace did.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 4:55 PM.
