Man dies from heart attack after 43 hospitals turn him away because their ICUs are overflowing with Covid patients

A 73-YEAR-old man died from a heart attack after 43 hospitals turned him away because their Intensive Care Units were overflowing with Covid patients.

Ray Martin DeMonia —  a native of Cullman, Alabama who was known for DeMonia’s Antiques and Auctions — passed away on September 1, just three days before his 74th birthday.

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DeMonia suffered a cardiac event and died at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi.

Following his death, DeMonia's loved ones are urging people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

In , shared via Dignity Memorial, his family said: "In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non COVID related emergencies.

"Due to COVID 19, CRMC emergency staff contacted 43 hospitals in 3 states in search of a Cardiac ICU bed and finally located one in Meridian, MS.

"He would not want any other family to go through what his did."

DeMonia's family said the late father-of-one spend "40 years in the antique business and traveled the country gathering antiques and sharing his wealth of knowledge."

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According to his obit, he also "served as auctioneer annually for the Cullman Rotary Club fundraiser auction as well as the Annual Draw Down Auction for the Hospice of Cullman County, Inc. for over 20 years."

Alabama Hospital Association deputy director Danne Howard told : "I can’t predict what’s going to happen tomorrow, but we’re certainly not rending in the right direction."

Howard was referring to the state's covid surge reaching its highest point ever.

He also said there's not enough staff in the state to allow for hospitals to expand capacity.

Howard told the news outlet: "That’s why we’re so aggressively trying to find additional resources, so those decisions don’t have to be made, so those types of life-or-death situations are not something that have to be faced."