Pope Francis' doctors have disclosed that he was so close to death at one point that they considered halting his treatment to allow him to pass away peacefully.
His medical team revealed that during a respiratory crisis on February 28, he nearly choked on his vomit. “There was a real risk he might not make it,” said Dr. Sergio Alfieri from Rome's Gemelli hospital, speaking to Reuters.
At 88 years old, the Pope made his first public appearance since being admitted to the hospital on February 14, when he visited his window at Gemelli and offered a blessing.
His appearance came following his discharge from the hospital. According to medical professionals, he will require at least two months of recuperation at the Vatican.
Dr. Alfieri, one of the physicians caring for the Pope, stated that he had “two very critical episodes” over the previous five weeks during which his “life was in danger, ” BBC reported.
Francis was never ventilated and always stayed conscious and engaged, he added. The Pope, according to doctors, will return to work as soon as possible, despite the fact that he is not fully recovered from pneumonia.
Appearing for an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera, Alfieri said, “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.”
“In the end, we took this path,” the doctor added.
On February 14, Francis was brought to Gemelli Hospital after suffering from a case of bronchitis that progressed to double pneumonia. It was a particularly dangerous condition for him since he experienced pleurisy as a young adult and had one lung removed at the age of 21.
