Blake Bargatze in hospital on July 14, 2021. Blake Bargatze/Cheryl Nuclo
A Georgia man had to get a double lung transplant after he acquired COVID-19 in April.
Blake Bargatze had no underlying well being points however was not vaccinated earlier than he fell sick.
The 25-year-old informed Insider the virus made his lungs look like “chewed up pieces of bubblegum.”
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A 25-year-old man who had to get a double lung transplant after falling sick with COVID-19 in April said the virus made his lungs look like “chewed up pieces of bubblegum.”
Blake Bargatze from Georgia, who had no underlying well being points, was admitted to ICU earlier this yr after he fell critically sick from the coronavirus.
During his keep, his situation worsened and docs informed him to survive, he wanted a new set of lungs. In June, he acquired a double lung transplant.
The 25-year-old informed Insider he was shocked at how rapidly COVID-19 attacked his physique.
“It just ate away my lungs,” he said. “They literally looked up like chewed up pieces of bubblegum by the time they took them out. They were riddled with holes. I was just fortunate enough to not have multiple organ failures.”
Bargatze is among the many few folks to have efficiently acquired a double lung transplant as a outcome of the coronavirus, which has to date killed greater than 687,000 Americans, in accordance to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University.
He believes he contracted the virus at a live performance in Florida again in March, which he now regrets attending. Although he was sporting a masks, he was not vaccinated on the time.
This is partially as a result of he wasn’t eligible for a vaccination but, but in addition as a result of he wished to wait and was fearful concerning the unwanted side effects, in accordance to his mom.
She informed WXIA: “He wanted to wait until it was out like 10 years or so, kind of like a lot of the population wants it to be out longer.”
But now, the 25-year-old is urging different folks to get their vaccinations.
“I’m trying to make people become more aware of what realistically can happen with this virus. It’s just not worth the risk,” he informed Insider.
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He additionally said that many individuals are nonetheless being “reckless” even because the extremely infectious Delta variant continues to trigger a rise in hospitalizations, particularly amongst these who are unvaccinated.
But life is trying up for the 25-year-old, who hopes he can quickly return to his favourite hobbies, together with fishing and enjoying pool with his mates. He is due to return to work this week, one thing he says is “a huge achievement” for him.
Although he’s nonetheless taking 50 capsules a day, Bargate is completely satisfied to be strolling once more and is “grateful to be alive.” He has since additionally gotten each his COVID-19 vaccinations.
A GoFundMe web page has since been set up to assist Bargatze’s household pay for his medical payments.
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