SYRACUSE, New York (WWNY) – Days before his wedding, Kyle Whiting, a 26-year-old man from Clayton, is fighting for his life after contracting COVID. As he lies medically paralyzed, his family prays for a miracle and warns the public about the risks of not getting vaccinated.
Whiting graduated from South Jefferson High School, moved to Clayton with his fiancée, works at a redemption center and participates in demolition derbies.
But, now he’s fighting for his life at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. He tested positive for COVID-19 on October 7 and was struggling to breathe shortly after.
“The machine on his finger checked his oxygen and it was down to 50 percent. The nurses, their eyes got as big as owls. They dropped everything and got him in a wheelchair and got him in and put him onto oxygen right away,” said Reba Gushlaw, Whiting’s fiancée.
But, it wasn’t enough. Whiting soon needed a ventilator. His lungs were failing.
“They call it a whiteout. Both of his lungs are completely white. Normally your lungs are black on an X-ray,” said Katelin Lillie, Whiting’s sister.
When the ventilator wasn’t enough, Whiting was also put on an ECMO machine, which circulates and oxygenates his blood for him.
“He’s heavily sedated and medically paralyzed. He can’t move at all,” said Lillie.
Whiting and Gushlaw were set to get married this Saturday, before everything happened. The family is still hoping for a miracle.
“We’re keeping hope alive by saying this wedding is going to happen,” said Gushlaw.
Whiting’s mother, Shalene, says she hopes sharing her son’s story will warn others about the risks of not getting vaccinated – a sentiment echoed by other family members.
“Some of us think we’re invincible. But, the sad truth of it is we’re not,” said Lillie. “A part of me wonders if my brother was vaccinated, if he’d be in the same position he’s in now.”
Doctors have given Whiting a slim chance of getting off the ECMO machine. They say if he does, he’ll likely need a lung transplant and extensive therapy.
For now, the family is visiting him daily and praying he pulls through.
They have a GoFundMe account set up for his medical bills.
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