By Ton La, Jr. and Grace Jin
Ellen DeGeneres, host of the Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003, has made a $20,000 donation in the name of Dr. Ryan Padgett, an Emergency Physician at Evergreen Health Medical Center.
Dr. Padgett has worked as a doctor for 17 years and has treated over 40,000 patients. He contracted COVID-19 in March and successfully fought off the virus after being placed on a ventilator and suffering from multi-system organ failure. Dr. Padgett ultimately recovered after being put on ECMO, a life support machine, and receiving an experimental chemotherapy-type drug.
“People in healthcare are the worst patients,” said Dr. Padgett, “the denial is strong.” Dr. Padgett’s wife, Connie, described that he started getting sick about a week after the hospital had their first positive test. Though he refused to go to the ER when he had only mild symptoms, Dr. Padgett realized the gravity of the situation “when a loved one looks you in the eye, and says, we’re going to put a bag together and go to the hospital.” Eight hours later, he was on a ventilator.
This donation, from the Ellen Show’s partner Shutterfly, supports GetUsPPE’s mission to get personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves, into the hands of healthcare professionals nationwide who are in the midst of fighting this pandemic. Thank you Ellen and Shutterfly for supporting our cause. If you can help, please visit GetUsPPE.org/Give/today.
