DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) - Days after getting off a ventilator, a homeless advocate is making a vaccine plea from his hospital bed.
“My body feels tired, not 100% myself,” said Arthur Salazar, 55.
A weary but grateful Salazar spoke out from his hospital bed, days after being removed from a three-week stay on a ventilator.
“It wasn't my time but it could easily have been,” said Salazar.
In August, Salazar posted a video of him handing out care packages to the homeless, including bibles. It’s something he’s done for several decades.
Salazar, a cab driver, is the founder of a Facebook ministry, which draws upon comics to spread the gospel.
About a month after the video was posted, the Salazar was found in his Del Mar home by a family member and rushed to a hospital. Soon after, Salazar, a diabetic, was placed on a ventilator.
Salazar says the COVID-19 fight that nearly took his life could have been avoided.
“This is a monster that is way bigger than I thought it was going to be,” said Salazar.
Salazar was unvaccinated.
“I was very concerned about the side effects. So much so, that it kept me from even wanting to take the vaccines,” said Salazar.
His decision not to get vaccinated is one he now regrets.
“I didn't need to go through all this suffering, but I went through it for a reason: to tell others not be afraid. Get the vaccine. Don’t pussyfoot … I learned the hard way, a valuable lesson. It’s not to be trifled with,” said Salazar.
After initially testing positive, Salazar received monoclonal antibody treatment, which he credits with saving his life. Doctors told him he can get a vaccine shot in about three months.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Salazar with expenses.