Sunday, February 23

Local doctors have given an update on Pope Francis' condition-- unfortunately, he is now in critical condition after being diagnosed with double pneumonia earlier in the week.

Pope Francis is the presiding leader over the Catholic church, and he lives in the Vatican Palace within Vatican City. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936, he is now 88 years old and has been the Pope since 2013, when he was elected as the successor of Pope Benedict XVI after the latter's resignation.

At 88 years old, his health had started to become a major concern. In 1957, when the Pope was in his early 20s, he was forced to undergo surgery to get part of one lung removed after a severe respiratory infection, and he has also experienced issues like sciatica, additional respiratory infections, and an abdominal hernia, the latter of which required surgery in 2023.

Last week, the Pope was sent to the hospital with bronchitis, and he was later diagnosed with double pneumonia, also known as bilateral pneumonia, after a CT scan. Pneumonia is an illness where a virus or bacteria causes inflammation and swelling of the lungs, making it tough to breathe, and it can cause the lungs to fill up with fluid or pus. Unfortunately, doctors have confirmed that it is an extremely complex case because it is polymicrobial, meaning that there are different kinds of organisms causing the pneumonia.

Nevertheless, the Pope was able to sleep well, sit up, and eat breakfast just a few days later, showing signs of improvement. The Vatican had kept extremely quiet about his condition, though, meaning that everyone did not have very many details on his health.

However, that quickly took a downturn on Friday, when he experienced a "asthmatic respiratory crisis." Doctors confirmed that he was in critical condition, and he required extra oxygen to breathe better and a blood transfusion to treat his anemia. Anemia is where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen to the body, and it is a side effect of severe pneumonia.

Thankfully, he made it through the procedures, and is now alert and alive in his wheelchair. He is still in much worse condition than earlier, though, and his death is not out of the picture. If the Pope were to pass away from the illness, it would spark a conclave among the College of Cardinals, who would then choose a cardinal to become the next Pope.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Before 1920, some people used to send their children in the mail. There were several recorded instances of parents who were too poor to buy a train ticket packing their kids into a box and mailing them off, but the practice was quickly banned.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you. (B.B. King)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Astute (adj, uh-STOOT) - Someone or something described as astute has or shows an ability to notice and understand things clearly. In other words, they are mentally sharp or clever. Astute can also describe someone who is crafty or wily.

In a Sentence: They made some astute observations about the movie industry.