Scott Radley: Nick Cordero’s wife offers new details of the Hamilton actor’s COVID battle

Day after day after day since her family was blasted into a nightmare they could never have imagined, Nick Cordero's wife has gone on Instagram to keep anyone who's interested updated on his story. It doesn't matter if the news from the hospital is wonderfully positive or punch-in-the-gut devastating, she's showed up and painted a remarkable picture of optimism and hope.

Then their one-year-old son took his first steps this week.

For one of the few times, you could see hints of the strain the entire ordeal has brought.

Do not get me wrong," Amanda Kloots said. I'm not giving up any kind of hope or any kind of positivity. Not at all. Not even close. Except that it's just going on 77 days (Thursday) and it is a lot. And every day that goes by I just feel like my heart is breaking more and more and more because I think of him laying there and I just am devastated.

I see our little boy, just the cutest little thing, growing up and doing all these firsts and Nick missing them and it's heartbreaking."

It's truly hard to imagine a more painful story.

On April 1, the previously healthy Westdale Secondary School grad went into Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles feeling unwell. Hours later he was unconscious in the intensive care ward with what would later be diagnosed as COVID-19.

Those 77 days that followed of which she speaks - and elaborated on rather extensively this week - have often been horrendous. The 41-year-old has had infections, blood clots, his heart has stopped, he's had mini strokes, he's had a temporary pacemaker installed, his right leg was amputated above the knee and doctors have found holes in his lungs.

He's awake, she says. He's not very active and his lack of movement has led to him losing 65 pounds of muscle. He can't speak because of the ventilator but his eyes are open and he's looking up and looking down to answer yes or no questions.

Right now, doctors are trying to get the Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor to the point he's healthy enough that they might have some more options for treatment. Right now, that means stabilizing his blood pressure. He's had two stem cell treatments. He's being fed high-protein, high-calorie food. Lung transplants might help but he's far too weak for that at this point.

It's unimaginably horrible for him. It's hard to imagine there's another COVID case this severe in which the patient has survived. In an entirely different way it's no better for Kloots. A little while ago she was told to say goodbye to him because he wasn't going to make it. At that point, his mom, Lesley, flew down from Hamilton and remains there.

He pulled through. But it's just another part of the gruelling battle Kloots describes as a roller-coaster.

It's monotonous and it's hard on a daily basis," she says. Very, very hard."

She visits the hospital every day though the pandemic has prevented her from seeing him in person or touching him. So, she stands on the sidewalk outside his window. Nurses hold a phone so Cordero can see the screen and she talks, sings and prays with him over FaceTime. During one of those calls, she told him about his leg. She's not sure if he understands or not.

Every night she says she goes to sleep with her phone in hand, scouring the internet and reading messages she's received from supporters to see if there's any idea that hasn't been explored to help her husband. And when she wakes up, she simply hopes for a good day.

She says it feels like she's getting to a point of being emotionless. And it's far from over since it'll likely still be months before he could possibly leave the hospital.

Best-case scenario," she says.

Yet, she shows up on Instagram every day with a smile and a positive attitude and tells her story. Tells their story. It's a big part of the reason his story has grabbed the attention of magazines, TV shows, celebrities and fans all over the world. It was Kloots who suggested people sing along and dance to Cordero's song Live Your Life every evening at 6 p.m. Then led by example.

They've followed. Thousands and thousands of them from Australia to Russia to Africa to London to every corner of the United States and here in Hamilton have joined in and posted their offerings on social media. They've also helped push a GoFundMe account for the family to nearly $575,000 US.

Kloots says she's been managing by doing a lot of praying. Relying on her faith and expecting a miracle has sustained her.

God's will will be done here," she insists.

Through it all, she's been the model of persistence and belief and optimism. But everyone has their buttons that when pressed, tear down the walls a little.

Seeing little Elvis take his first steps this week seemed to be that for her. The smile was still there - mostly - but there was clearly a hint of fatigue in her voice. And an acknowledgement that this has been incredibly hard.

So, when her son took those steps, she celebrated. Every mother would. But ...

Of course my mind went right to Nick and Nick missing that moment," she says. That wasn't easy."

Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sradley@thespec.com