Doctors treating Pope Francis had to consider “letting him go” after he almost died twice while receiving treatment in hospital. The Argentinian, 88, was released from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been battling double pneumonia for the past five weeks, on Sunday.
Dr Sergio Alfieri, a member of the team that treated the head of the Catholic Church, revealed the harrowing details of his battle, including when experts considered “letting him go”. He said: “We had to choose between letting him go or trying everything at very high risk. Francis knew he could die. Those around him had tears in their eyes, and he said, ‘This is bad’.
For the first time, I saw tears in the eyes of some people around him. People who, as I have come to understand during this period of hospitalisation, sincerely love him like a father.
“We all knew that the situation had worsened even more and that there was a risk he wouldn’t make it and that we were losing him.
“We had to choose between stopping and letting him go or forcing it and trying all possible medications and therapies, running a very high risk of damaging other organs. And in the end, we took this path.”
The decision to continue with medical treatment was made by Massimiliano Strappetti, the pontiff’s personal doctor, who urged staff to carry on despite the risks.
Dr Alfieri also revealed that the Pope came close to death on two occasions.
On one occasion, fears mounted that His Holiness might not survive the night after his condition worsened.
He said: “That night was terrible; he knew, as we did, that he might not survive that night. We saw a man who was suffering. But from day one, he asked us to tell him the truth about his condition.
In another serious episode, the holy leader nearly died from choking.
Dr Alfieri continued: “We were coming out of the hardest moment when while eating, the Pope vomited and almost choked. It was the second truly critical moment because, in these cases, if not rescued promptly, there is a risk of sudden death besides complications in the lungs, which were already the most compromised organs.
“It was terrible; we really thought we wouldn’t make it.”
The Pope was greeted by a large crowd of supporters during a brief appearance on a balcony at Gemelli Hospital in Rome before leaving the medical centre.
He has returned to the Vatican where recovery will continue.