OLDSMAR, Fla. — Desmond Silva just graduated nursing school and immediately started working on the front lines against COVID-19.
“Desmond has a family of nurses and he was born to be a nurse as well,” said his mother Barbara Bonnet.
Desmond’s mom says she was worried when he tested positive for the coronavirus but was grateful he got through it with no major symptoms.
“We figured he was young, 22, healthy. We figured he was just going to whizz through it,” said Bonnet.
Desmond even went back to work at the hospital, but two months after his recovery, something happened.
“He said he had pain in the back of his neck. Pain in the back of his head and he knew that something was wrong immediately,” said Bonnet.
Desmond ended up in the emergency room last Thursday. He’s now on a ventilator and paralyzed from the neck down.
His mom, who’s also a nurse, says he’s being treated for inflammation of the spinal cord caused by a viral infection.
She says doctors are stumped about his case and how this is related to his dealing with COVID-19.
“No parent should go through what we are going through. This does stem from COVID. We want people to be educated that this is something serious,” said Bonnet.
Desmond’s mom says he needs to go a specialist in Boston, but right now they don’t know how they’ll get him there.
She is praying and hopeful.
“Right now it’s just based on faith,” said Bonnet.
