TAMPA, Fla. — A local nurse who worked at the Largo Medical Center has died after battling a COVID-related infection for almost two years.
The announcement of Desmon Silva's passing came Wednesday on the GoFundMe page set up for him that raised more than $175,000.
"On behalf of Desmon's family we wanted to share that Desmon has peacefully moved onto his next journey," the update said. "Desmon was surrounded by the love of his family."
The post went on to say how grateful Silva was for all the gifts and donations.
"The love and support we received gave us the strength to keep fighting for Des and the donations allowed us to give Desmon the tools to have the best life possible," the post read.
There will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. on July 7 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinellas Park. All flowers will be donated to Acts of Kindness.
The Largo Medical Center nurse was paralyzed after he contracted COVID-19 in 2020 and was flown to Boston for care. At the time, Florida was experiencing some of the country's highest positivity rates.
The then 23-year-old returned to the Tampa Bay area in 2021 thanks to some generous donations, including a $25,000 flight home.
Silva had acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, a disease that attacks the central nervous system, causing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.
"Remember him in the good times, and not only the bad," the GoFundMe page update says. "We now have a guardian angel Fly high Des.... until we see you again!"
