The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropicsWoodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
18-year-old Payton Rose ended up in the ICU on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19. It’s been called life support of last resort; A machine that was mostly used as a bridge for people waiting for a heart or lung transplant Is now saving the lives of deathly ill COVID-19 patients. 18-year-old Payton Rose contracted the Coronavirus. Her mother, Jean Rose, heard from the doctor and said, “You’re telling me that my 18-year-old daughter, who was perfectly fine, had never been sick… Nothing … Is now on life support?” Adding, “It was very scary. Very, very scary.” Today, Payton is thankful she’s alive, saying, “I didn’t realize just how much a lot of people cared about me. Until all that happened.” It was August, during a family vacation in Georgia when Payton and her younger sister contracted COVID-19. Her sister bounced back quickly, but within a matter of days, Payton was in the ICU on a ventilator and struggling to breathe. “It became very real,” her mother explained. “That this is no longer oh, she’s just sick. This is I’m gonna lose my daughter.” Her family knew their options and time were dwindling. Jean Rose recalled, “I think when the pulmonologist came, and knelt in front of me and said, ‘Jean, you can’t lose faith.’ And I said, ‘I’m about there.'” They were hoping something could save their daughter. Dr. Beauvais said he had one more trick up his sleeve. The Rose’s live in Punta Gorda and the Hail Mary they prayed for was a few hours away. ECMO machine. They put Payton on an ECMO machine, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. “The ECMO machine was starting to become this. Hey, you know what this is? Do you know what it can do?” ICU Medical Director at NCH Dr. David Lindner, explained, “In its simplistic form ECMO is this technique by which we can oxygenate the blood. So, therefore, when the lungs are profoundly damaged, which we have seen often in the covid pandemic, we can utilize it and make sure that we can support the patient through basically the course of the disease that basically for many people would have led to their death.” Dr. Lindner directs the COVID effort at NCH in Naples. ECMO is the highest level of life support. It’s essentially a mobile heart-lung machine. The ECMO unit cycles all the blood out of the body, oxygenates it, takes out carbon dioxide, warms it to body temperature, then pumps it back in – Giving the lungs a chance to rest and heal. There are only 236 registered ECMO centers in the United States. Most only have the need for a few units. When the ECMO’s value to COVID-19 patients was discovered, it quickly became an object of great demand. Rose family vacation in Georgia. “We’ve had a number of people who did not do well,” Dr. Lindner added. “And then as we kept refining the criteria to really understand who was a good candidate and who was not a good candidate, we learned that in the world of treatment earlier was better. And so you needed to rapidly identify. Typically it was younger, rapidly, progressive individuals.” COVID-19 patients can stay on a unit for weeks or even months. Naples mother Angela Pena had an extended stay on an ECMO machine at NCH. When she left, everyone lined the hallways, applauding, said Dr. Lindner, “Because it was a wonderful event to see her actually rollout. And I think she had been there for two to three months.” Payton has little memory of her near-death experience. “It was really crazy because I was just like sleeping and suddenly I wake up and everyone’s like, oh my God.” Her turnaround was miraculous and she was weaned off ECMO after four days. “I’m pretty glad it’s there, Payton said. “Because otherwise, I don’t know that I would be here.” And her mother was also just as glad. “If it was not for that machine, do you think she’d be here today? No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. That machine is a lifesaver,” Jean Rose said. Undergoing ECMO treatment is a labor-intensive and expensive procedure, requiring one-on-one care specialized care around the clock for each patient. Payton’s medical bill was $1.4 million dollars.