Another cruel twist for Holly family
By Kevin Vaughan, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 11:00 p.m., April 24, 2008
Updated 09:02 a.m., April 25, 2008
Photo by Chris Schneider
Gustavo Puga sits by the bed of his daughter Noelia Puga, 4, in intensive care at Children's Hospital in Aurora on Thursday. Noelia, who lost her mother in the tornado that hit Holly last year, is now battling an E. coli infection.
A little more than a year after a tornado took his wife and turned his life upside down, Gus Puga finds himself in the throes of another family crisis - this time at the bedside of his ill daughter.
Noelia Puga, a 4-year-old bundle of energy, is in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children's Hospital, battling an E. coli infection.
She was on dialysis and oxygen Thursday, but physicians expect her to make a full recovery, her father said.
"I was hoping for this year to be a little better, but it didn't turn out that way," he said, sitting in the sunshine-splashed first floor of the Aurora hospital.
On March 28, 2007, a tornado that slammed into Holly in southeast Colorado took dead aim on the Puga family's mobile home. The twister shredded the dwelling, and hurled Gus, his wife, Rosemary Rosales, and Noelia into a tree.
Gus suffered a broken toe, four fractured ribs, two cracked vertebrae, a broken scapula, nasty cuts and gashes all over his back. Noelia's face was burned, and she sustained a minor head injury. Rosemary was badly injured and died at a Colorado Springs hospital.
The couple's son, Gus Jr., came away unscathed because he was down the road at the home of his grandmother, Auralia Puga.
The family marked the first anniversary of the tornado four weeks ago and was ready for life to take a turn for the better. But that's not what happened.
"My luck's not good," Gus said.
As he spoke, he smiled.
That despite the pain he still feels at the loss of his wife. Despite the fact he is recovering from gallbladder surgery. Despite Noelia's sickness. Despite the mounting medical bills, which topped $150,000 before his recent surgery and his daughter's illness.
Puga is a short-haul truck driver. He doesn't have medical insurance, but he's paying what he can.
Noelia has been diagnosed with E. coli 0157 and a serious kidney condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Doctors expect her to be hospitalized for a week or more while her kidneys recover.
Thursday, Noelia lay on a purple pillow adorned with green lizards and canary yellow moons.
Toon Disney played on the television and she asked her grandmother, over and over, for water. But she can't have anything to drink now, so her grandmother took a little pink sponge on a stick, dipped it in some water and swabbed it around the inside of Noelia's mouth.
No matter how many times her grandmother explained it to her, the little girl didn't understand.
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April 25, 2008
8:54 a.m.
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Purpose4mylife writes:
Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.
April 25, 2008
9:11 a.m.
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MarineGrunt writes:
I hope for noting but the best for this little girl. Get better soon, hun!
April 25, 2008
9:12 a.m.
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tm3869 writes:
The Lord will not put anything on you that you cannot handle. Look to the Heavens and know He is always with you........
April 25, 2008
9:47 a.m.
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Marshdale writes:
This has nothing to do with the lord. She ate some bad food. I do feel bad for this family though. They need a break.
April 25, 2008
10:23 a.m.
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LuckyMe writes:
Marshdale,
I don't think tm3869 meant that the lord actually did this to this beautiful little girl. This is saying is meant to soothe the unsettled soul in times of turmoil to remind us that the lord is always vigilant. I didn't see anything in the article about bad food being consumed by this girl. I did see however, she has a serious kidney condition in addition to E. Coli. May the lord be with this family. And you too Marshdale.
April 25, 2008
10:33 a.m.
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HollyGoLightly writes:
This puts things into perspective. This man has been given more grief than most of us could handle. I wish them a speedy recovery and better times ahead.
April 25, 2008
10:46 a.m.
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McGowdog writes:
Prayers.
Our thoughts are with ya buddy. Once this trial passes and your girl is fully recovered, may you and your family have a peaceful and prosperous year to follow! It just don't seem fair. The broader picture always looks better though.
April 25, 2008
11:52 a.m.
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Steph writes:
tm3869, if the Lord cared for her, he would have protected her. If it's true that we are never given more than we can handle, why does he have to test the boundaries so often?
My thoughts for the family and I hope things get better for them.
April 25, 2008
11:52 a.m.
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POHA writes:
She's in good hands! Hooray for the body always moving towards health!
April 25, 2008
12:49 p.m.
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gammagirl writes:
Please everyone lots and lots of prayers for little Noelia, she has hit another bump in the road, yet this morning. Lets not focus on how or why she got E-coli, not to minimize of course. Yet lets keep our focus on praying she gets better from this. Thank you.
April 25, 2008
1 p.m.
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tm3869 writes:
Marshdale and Steph:
I only wanted to reassure this father that although they are going through the worst possible time in their lives, and it may seem as though they are forgotten, He never forgets.
Did not mean to start a fire, just wanted them to know that I was praying for them......