Pensacola H1N1 patient inspires family

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A Pensacola man's battle against the H1N1 virus hit another road block. For the last month, Jerry Holt has gone through a roller coaster of emotions.

"You're way up at 8:00 a.m., then so terribly down by 8:30 a.m.," said Hank Holt. "The emotions that we all go through is just some of the toughest that I've ever lived through."

Holt's brother, Hank, is in a medically-induced coma to help fight the pneumonia that developed after he contracted the H1N1 virus. Holt said Monday morning Hank was going to be moved to a different ventilator, when he faced another setback.

"The ventilator that he's on had caused a tear in his lung tissue. It's the fourth in the last week. So they had to put another chest tube in to drain the clotting blood out of the lung."

Holt said his 54-year-old brother has been given a 10 percent chance of survival.

"Him being alive is teaching them how to save others," Holt added.

Holt said Hank used to be the picture of health and was stunned to see his brother so debilitated. Holt hopes others realize the virus can affect any one, at any age.

"The word's spreading, the numbers are up. We think we're gonna do something this weekend," he added.

Sunday, Holt and his family organized free flu shots for the public. Holt said he's trying to make people aware of how important those vaccines are, and prevent them from going on the same roller coaster he's been riding.

"Today could be too late. Don't go to bed without doing this. Hank put it off four times," Holt said.

Holt said in June, he plans on going on a 12-city, 45-day tour to promote the importance of flu shots.