The head of the medical team who attended Pope Francis during the 38 days he spent at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, Sergio Alfieri, revealed that one of the most critical moments of his admission was when they had to choose between moving forward with the therapy or letting him die.
“We had to choose whether to stop and let it go, or force and try with all possible drugs and therapies, running the very high risk of damaging other organs,” he said in an interview with the Italian newspaper The Corriere della Sera.
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Dr. Alfieri referred in this way to the response with which doctors handled the respiratory crisis suffered by the Pontiff on February 28.
According to the medical report published that day, Pope Francis suffered an isolated attack of bronchospasm, a strong cough blow that aggravated his clinical conditions suddenly, after days of moderate optimism in the Vatican.
Although the pontiff did not lose knowledge at any time and collaborated with the therapeutic maneuvers of the specialists, the alarms jumped and the doctors chose to place a mask with non -invasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe.
“I saw tears in the eyes of some people who were close to him”
“For the first time I saw tears in the eyes of some people who were close to him. People who, I have understood in this period of admission, want it sincerely, like a father. We were all aware that the situation had further aggravated himself and there was a risk that perhaps he did not succeed,” said Dr. Alfieri in statements to the Italian newspaper.
However, despite the risk of causing irreversible renal and spinal damage due to the medical treatment to which they were subjected, they decided to act. “We came to think that we would not achieve it,” he said.
It was a hard decision, as Alfieri said, who was ultimately supported by the decision of the Pontiff himself, who, through his health assistant, his personal nurse in the Vatican, Massimiliano Strappetti, gave a clear order: “Try everything, we do not give up. And no one surrendered.”
In the end, Pope Francis responded to treatment. However, after his recovery, he had another moment of great concern.
When he was eating, the pontiff suffered an episode of vomiting and the gastric juices they expelled ended up entering their lungs.
“We were leaving the hardest period and, while ate, Pope Francis had a vomit that inhaled. That was the second truly critical moment because, in these cases, if it does not act promptly, there is the risk of sudden death, in addition to complications in the lungs, which were already the most committed organs,” said Alfieri.
I might not overcome the night
In this sense, the doctor explained that, despite the seriousness of the situation, Pope Francis was always fully aware, “even when his conditions were aggravated.”
“He was aware, like us, that he could not overcome the night,” said the doctor.
He added: “We interview the man who suffered. He, however, from day one asked us to tell him the truth and wanted us to tell the truth about his conditions.”
In this regard, the director of the Medical-Surgical Department of the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital confirmed the desire for transparency that has promoted the Vatican to inform about the health of Pope Francis.
“We communicated to the secretaries the medical part and they added other information that the Pope approved later. Nothing has never been modified or omitted,” he said.
The power of prayer and miracle after crises
In this interview, Dr. Alfieri also highlighted the incredible strength of the Pope, both physical and mental: “In the past, when we talked, he asked him how he managed to maintain that rhythm and always replied: ‘I have method and rules’. Beyond a very strong heart, he has incredible resources.”
In addition to physical strength, the Medical Coordinator of the Gemelli added that the prayers that these days have raised faithful throughout the world also contributed to their recovery.
“There is a scientific publication according to which the prayers give strength to the sick. In this case, everyone began to pray. I can say that twice the situation was lost and then it happened as a miracle. Of course, it was a very cooperative patient. He underwent all the therapies without complaining,” he concluded.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.