ClarkCovidHelp.com and EarlyTreatment.com now available as resources to the Clark County community
When it comes to COVID-19 local care and treatment, a very personal experience has led to a new resource for the Clark County community.
Earlier this year, David Madore and his wife Donna took a trip to Texas. The Madores had planned to make a relatively short trip to the Lone Star State but their stay was extended when David and Donna contracted the COVID virus.
Madore, the owner and founder of US Digital and also of Clark County Today, experienced what he termed “amazing’’ care and treatment while in Texas, which he now says is in sharp contrast to what they experienced watching the care and treatment their infected family members received here in Washington state.
“In Texas, we got COVID and immediately received amazing help,’’ Madore said. “Our daughter found a doctor who was able to prescribe treatment, large doses of ivermectin, steroids and antibiotics and even a nebulizer. He threw the whole kitchen sink at it. We were blessed to have mobile nurses come to our hotel room twice to minister an IV to boost our immune systems.’’
Thanks in large part to that care and treatment, the Madores recovered from their bout with COVID and were able to return home to Clark County. The Madores also have a couple who are good friends that live in Texas and the wife is still going through a severe COVID experience. The Madores receive daily update reports on their friend’s recovery.
“I receive an update from them every day,’’ Madore said. “The update yesterday was her 96th day in ICU and 65th on the ventilator. They have been fabulous to her. They are weaning her almost off the ventilator and the next step is room oxygen. She is alert, aware, able to communicate. The staff has been very accommodating and welcoming to allow her husband to be by her side, even spending the night. His nearly full-time attention has greatly encouraged his wife, who is now alert, appreciating his company, and looking forward to going home. He was able to catch things multiple times that helped the staff immediately address problems that could otherwise have led to complications.’’
The Madores have had multiple experiences with the care and treatment of family members who have been infected with the virus here in Washington, including one family member who died from COVID. He said his personal experiences with their care has been in sharp contrast to what they and their friends have experienced in Texas.
“The contrast between Texas and Washington is that Texas treasures and values life to an extreme degree,’’ Madore said. “They will do whatever they can to nurse you back to health. They will do everything they can to help you so you don’t end up in the hospital. But even in the most severe case, they don’t just put you on a ventilator as a one-way trip. They put you on it to heal your lungs and then wean you off of it. Our friend in Texas would have died no doubt with the policies we have here in Washington state. She is alive because they are so committed in Texas to save life.’’
The Madores returned from Texas on Oct. 20 and learned their nephew had just spent the entire day at a Clark County area emergency room. His nephew had tested positive for COVID, was very weak, diagnosed with pneumonia, had a high fever and other symptoms.
Madore learned that “They told him to go home. ‘There is no treatment. There’s nothing you can do.’ The norm is no follow up, no instructions, and no phone call asking how he is doing. Had we not stepped in, the natural course would have been for him to return to the hospital when he was sick enough to be admitted to the ICU. We don’t want that to happen to anyone else in our community.”
Madore wants to make it very clear that he is not waging a war, or assigning blame or fault, to area health care professionals and frontline medical workers here in Washington state.
“I’ve been very careful to not make anyone in the healthcare industry here in Washington feel responsible; that’s not my agenda,’’ Madore said. “At the same time, our neighbors should know what to expect with no treatment. I believe there are very good people in our healthcare industry, but their hands are tied and they can’t help the way they want to help. Hopefully, that will change. Our neighbors should know that there are local providers who will do everything they can to strengthen your immune system and provide safe, effective, and affordable treatment. They can nurse you back to health.’’
Serving the community
It is these experiences that has led Madore to once again make an effort to serve the community he lives in. Make no mistake, his effort is not to take on the medical establishment or the healthcare industry in Washington state.
“This is not about condemning the lack of treatment here,’’ said Madore, who sees a COVID pandemic that has left wounded soldiers lying all over the battlefield and he wants to help get medics to care for the wounded. “That’s the heart behind this mission.’’
Specifically, Madore’s mission is to provide Clark County residents with as much opportunity as possible where they can find information about COVID treatment and care.
“Rather than a national effort, our focus is to help people in our own local community,’’ he said.
Madore and others have teamed up to create two websites – ClarkCovidHelp.com and EarlyTreatment.com. Madore credits Clark County Today Graphic Designer Andi Schwartz for the design and presentation of the websites.
“It started by asking friends in our community, ‘do you know what we can do?’’’ Madore said of the websites. “We knew some nurses and doctors and some of them are very frustrated. I learned by word of mouth about at least one new compassionate service provider, Vital Care in Battle Ground. They’re great, but not enough people know about them.
“It’s too easy to believe that there is no help. So far, we’ve found at least two sources that provide monoclonal antibodies treatment – the Vancouver Clinic and Vital Care. I am sure there are more and I know of a new provider soon to come on line,’’ Madore said. “The type of service, the criteria, the follow up, and the cost is different for each one. It’s been a challenge trying to get that info from other local providers. As we find those answers, we will share them with our community so they can make informed decisions and get timely help.
“The first site, ClarkCovidHelp.com, provides information on the kinds of treatment (and nontreatment) options available,’’ Madore said. “The second website – EarlyTreatment.com – simply provides the info on local treatment providers who at least administer the monoclonal antibody (MA) treatment. A Google Maps search provides no useful links. Even the HHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) website that is supposed to list who provides MA treatment, shows none in Clark County. Early treatment can easily become late treatment or no treatment if the search is started after you’re already sick with COVID.”
Madore was clear to point out the websites are not to provide care or recommendations.
“We’ve been very careful to say that we are not prescribing anything,’’ he said. “We leave that to the licensed medical professionals. There is a verse in the Bible (Hosea 4:6) that says, ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge.’ We don’t want anyone to perish for lack of knowledge. Information is knowledge. We are simply sharing what we’ve learned and where we can all find local help.’’
Feedback welcomed
Madore said he hopes members of the community will join in the effort to make the websites better and as helpful to area residents as possible.
“We welcome specific feedback,’’ he said, cautioning those who would offer destructive feedback as opposed to that which is constructive. “The contrast difference between the two is that destructive feedback is of no help and is criticism that is general in nature – ‘we don’t like it, this is misinformation, you’re not qualified to help.’ That kind of general condemnation does more harm than good. Constructive criticism is very specific such as ‘you said, this, but you could say that.’ We welcome and invite our community to make it better by giving us very specific and helpful feedback.
“I encourage people to read through the site once and don’t click on anything,’’ he said. “Then, go through one more time to click and watch the videos and click on all the links to see, check and verify the facts from original sources. We’ve concentrated on the basic facts to keep the sites as compact and specific as possible. But, each fact, each point you click on is from the original sources where that information came from. All of those original sources are there. We are just relating what those sources have told us.’’
Madore said the effort is not an attempt to circumvent elected officials or community leaders, but just an effort by community members to serve other community members.
“Some may object by asserting that only the government is qualified to help, only experts are qualified to speak, only credentialed authorities can provide information. All other sources are condemned as sources of misinformation. It’s as though we only recognize and trust high priests,’’ Madore said. “We are not the government. We are not experts. We have no credentials, and we don’t have, nor do we want, any authority. We’re just neighbors like you who care and are motivated by compassion. We want life, health and blessing for our own community from the heart. If you know of a better way, we welcome it.’’
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