Alabama Man Dies of COVID-19 After Being Turned Away by a Hospital, ICU’s At Full Capacity

The family of a Cullman antique merchant is encouraging others to get vaccinations against COVID-19. This was after medical staff forced this patient to transfer to a hospital almost 200 miles away from his home.

Alabama man dies due to at full capacity hospitals. (Photo: ABC News)

Ray Martin DeMonia passed away on September 1st, after a cardiac episode on August 23rd. He was three days away from becoming 74 years old.

His family claimed in an AL.com report that hospitals throughout the South were swamped with COVID-19 victims, forcing medical personnel at Cullman Regional Medical Center to seek elsewhere.

Family Urges Other People To Get COVID-19 Jabs

DeMonia’s family has encouraged others to get COVID-19 vaccines. “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, [to] free up resources for non-COVID-related emergencies,” his obituary read. “He would not want any other family to go through what he did.” 

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DeMonia, a Cullman native, worked at DeMonia’s Antiques and Auctions for 40 years. He also served as a fundraiser auctioneer for the Cullman Rotary Club and Hospice of Cullman County.

DeMonia learned about antique repair from his father, according to the Cullman Times, and would sometimes utilize his understanding of items to entice bidders at auction. He also conducted estate sales and evaluated items for insurance purposes. He also discovered a Claude Monet painting at an estate sale.

Number Of COVID-19 Cases

COVID cases have risen dramatically in many areas throughout the nation in recent weeks, partly owing to the highly infectious delta variant, NY Daily News said. Its rapid spread has overloaded hospitals and critical care units throughout the United States, leaving medical personnel weary.

In Alabama, there are 60 more ICU patients than beds as of Thursday. Around 51 percent of those patients tested positive for COVID-19, USA Today said.

According to current CDC statistics, the average number of COVID-19 cases in Cullman County, in northern Alabama, exceeded levels observed during a surge in December.

On Thursday, the Montgomery Advertiser said that hospitals in southeast Alabama now have 25 more ICU patients than accessible beds, as the COVID-19 epidemic continues to strain the region’s medical infrastructure.

Business Insider (via Yahoo! News), citing CDC’s data, said 36.4 percent of the eligible population in Cullman County has been vaccinated. More than 40.6 million had COVID-19 infections, and 655,800 fatalities have been reported in the United States. 

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