It's been a little touch and go for Pope Francis the past five weeks as he struggled with a severe lung infection and apparently came close to death. His reappearance has the Catholic world rejoicing, but it was a close thing.
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Pope Francis finally made a public appearance once more at Gemelli Hospital from the hospital's fifth floor. He made his way down from the tenth, where he had been receiving treatment so that people could get a proper look at him.
He has been struggling with a serious case of double pneumonia for the past five weeks. Although the Vatican has kept regular detailed updates, they looked bleak. It has been revealed that at one point, they strongly considered taking Pope Francis off his medication to let him die in peace.
"We had to choose if we would stop there and let him go, or to go forward and push it with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the highest risk of damaging his other organs," his doctor told the local paper. It was on the night of Feb. 28 that they considered letting Pope Francis die.
He suffered a coughing fit and almost choked on his own vomit. Rather than keep him suffering, there was a discussion about letting him die with dignity.
Pope Francis's Nurse Fought His Corner
According to the doctor, it was Massimiliano Strappetti, his nurse, who convinced them to continue his treatment. She believed that Pope Francis could pull through and that it wasn't his time to die just yet. "Try everything, we won't give up," she apparently told the doctors.
Their faith was restored, and they continued to treat the 88-year-old pontiff. He has pulled through his harrowing illness and is now making a public appearance again. "For days, we were risking damage to his kidneys and bone marrow, but we went ahead — and his body responded to the drugs and his lung infection lessened," his doctor told the media.
Of course, Pope Francis isn't out of the woods yet. He can't resume full papal duties right away and has been told to rest for at least another two months. He's a strong and determined pope, and he was never going to give up that easily. And, for now, he's on the mend.
