Remaining hospitalized San Bernardino shooting victims are out of critical condition
Loma Linda University Medical Center, the closest hospital to the San Bernardino shooting scene, treated multiple victims wounded in the attack.
None of the remaining victims of the San Bernardino shooting is in critical condition, Loma Linda University Medical Center officials said Tuesday.
Loma Linda University Medical Center spokeswoman Briana Pastorino said one shooting victim’s condition had been changed from critical to fair on Monday, but then became serious on Tuesday. The other patient, who is recovering in the center’s rehabilitation facility, is “likely to be discharged today or tomorrow,” Pastorino said.
In the hours after the Dec. 2 terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center, two of the five victims at the medical center were listed in critical condition. Fourteen people were killed and 22 others were wounded in the rampage. The two shooters, married couple Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, were killed in a police shootout hours after the rampage.
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The patient in rehab, Julie Swann-Paez, suffered a shattered pelvis and two bullet wounds, her family said. Throughout the ups and downs, her spirits have remained high -- even through excruciating pain and internal bleeding.
“My mom’s personality is: ‘No matter the situation, what’s the positive?’” her son, Nick Paez, said. “My mom is the backbone of the family.”
Despite the pain and tragedy, Paez said, his mother is eager to return to her job with the San Bernardino County health department.
“She loves her job,” he said. “She looks forward to returning to work when she’s able to. One of her coworkers came in... and my mom said, ‘When do you need me to start answering emails?’”
Paez said his mom is active in a Facebook group chat for shooting survivors. She and a few of her coworkers use it as a space to “deal with it all and talk about it.”
Each day comes with more signs that his mom is recovering and will eventually be able to go back to the job she loves.
On a recent Thursday, Paez persuaded her son to grab her a Frappuccino from Starbucks. Before the shooting, Nick Paez said, his mom would start each day with the sugary drink.
“I can have extra calories so make it as fatty as possible,” she joked from her hospital bed.
He returned with a mocha-flavored Frappuccino with a pile of whipped cream on top. It was a small victory.
For more on the San Bernardino attack, follow @sarahparvini on Twitter
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