Lerma a well known Hispanic community events volunteer and the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) Executive Assistant/Events Coordinator posted on Facebook that she is a COVID-19 survivor, but is in need of a double-lung transplant after the virus severely damaged her lungs.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
October 13, 2020
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Recently, Carmen Lerma, 52, who is an active volunteer for the Family Puerto Rican Annual Festival in Milwaukee sponsored by El Conquistador Newspaper and the events coordinator for the Mexican September 16th Annual Independence Day Parade and Festival including the Cinco de Mayo Celebration at the UMOS headquarters grounds announced that she is a Coronavirus (COVID-19) survivor, but is in need of a double-lung transplant after the virus severely damaged both of her lungs.
In July, Lerma was hospitalized after losing consciousness with 31% oxygen level, which could have resulted in her death, but survived and tested positive for COVID-19. She was placed on a breathing ventilador, but didn't want to be placed in induced coma.
Lerma also posted photos of her wearing a ventilador mask and the effects it had on her face, which showed soars, blisters and bruises from wearing the breathing mask for months. She hasn't been able to personally see her family during the ordeal and wants the public to take the COVID-19 seriously and to practice wearing a facemask and distancing to avoid getting ill. Some people endure mild COVID-19 systems, but many with underlying medical issues face serious illness and even death.
Lerma hasn't any underlying medical issues and doesn't smoke.
A GoFundMe account was set to help Lerma with her medical costs. Lerma will remain at the UW Health hospital in Madison for several months after the transplant, to await, if her body accepts the double-lung transplant and is well to return to Milwaukee. She is in a waiting list for the lung transplant.
Other well known Milwaukee area Latino/a community activists that have survived COVID-19 and are struggling with the after affects of the virus and have also come out public are Luz Sosa, a Latina Community Organizer and Christela Juárez Villarreal, a Milwaukee City employee and Latina Community activist, including other local Latina women and community activists who have also recently been exposed to COVID-19 and have been hospitalized are Norma Duckworth and Mariel Mercedes, according to Facebook posts.
So far, more than 215,000 people in the U.S. have died from complications with COVID-19 and more than 7.83M positive cases have been reported.
In Wisconsin, at least 152,192 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported and 1,474 deaths have been confirmed, by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, since the Coronavirus outbreak nationally.
Milwaukee's zipcodes 53204 and 53215 have seen a recent surge of COVID-19 infections, which is located in the predominantly Hispanic/Latino community.
In Milwaukee County, at least 32,383 COVID-19 cases have been reported and 439 deaths.
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