Young Houston doctor dies after fighting for her life in ICU with COVID-19
A Houston doctor died early Saturday after fighting for her life in an intensive care unit since becoming infected with COVID-19 in July, according to a statement from her family.
Adeline Fagan, a 28-year-old New York native who was completing her second year of residency as an OB-GYN in Houston, tested positive for the infection in early July before her condition worsened and she became hospitalized. By mid-August, she had been on a ventilator and ECMO machine for about two weeks and she was expected to remain on a ventilator for about six more weeks.
Fagan’s father, Brant, confirmed her death in a statement posted Saturday atop of a fundraiser page initially organized to help her pay her medical and travel expenses as well as other bills. The statement had a time stamp of 4:24 a.m.
“The time the world stopped for a moment and will never be the same,” Brant wrote. “Our beautiful daughter, sister, friend, physician, Adeline Marie Fagan, MD passed away.”
Fagan was doing well in recent weeks, according to the statement. But about half an hour after receiving a good report on her condition at 10 p.m. Friday, her family received a call. They had to decide whether to perform a procedure that would relieve pressure of a massive brain bleed. A nurse who entered Fagan’s room for a routine task noticed she was not responsive. Hospital staff rushed to perform a CT scan to see the extent of the damage.
A neurosurgeon told the family there was a “1 in a million” chance Fagan would survive the procedure. And if she did, she would have several severe cognitive and sensory limitations.
“We spent the remaining minutes hugging, comforting, and talking to Adeline,” the statement read. “And then the world stopped.”
Brant thanked everyone who supported Fagan and her family over the last couple of weeks.
“Even in this darkest of times, there are good people willing to share a piece of themselves for the sake of another,” Brant wrote. “If you can do one thing, be an ‘Adeline’ in the world. Be passionate about helping others less fortunate, have a smile on your face, a laugh in your heart, and a Disney tune on your lips.”
Fagan became one of the latest casualties in the coronavirus pandemic that has already killed about 200,000 people in the United Sates. In the Houston region, 3,317 people have died as of Saturday.
Fagan’s primary task at a Houston hospital was delivering babies, but she had also treated COVID-19 patients. On July 8, she started a 12-hour shift with excitement before her body and head started aching. Her younger sisters, Maureen and Natalie, previously said her story presented a cautionary tale.
“We would like people to understand the gravity of the situation,” Natalie told The Chronicle last month. “There are many people out there who do not think they’ll get sick. But the fact of the matter is Adeline’s story is a universal one right now. We could be Adeline. So taking every precaution can protect yourself and your neighbor. Wear a mask, social distance, stay home if possible. You don’t have go through what Adeline is going through.”
Fagan wanted to be a doctor since she was a little girl with a toy stethoscope. She was a graduate of University at Buffalo medical school.
On Saturday night, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo called Fagan’s death “heart wrenching.”
“Prayers to her, her family, her friends and her colleagues. May God comfort them all and protect us all,” Acevedo said in a tweet.
