- Ricky Smith, a longtime community advocate and Omaha Public School Board member, spent more than six weeks in intensive care after being diagnosed with sepsis — a severe infection that attacks the body’s organs.
- UNMC infectious disease expert Dr. Jasmine Marcelin says sepsis kills one person every two minutes in the U.S. and can strike anyone — even healthy individuals. She stresses knowing the warning signs: high or low temperature, post-surgery infection, confusion, and feeling severely ill.
- Still recovering and relearning to walk in a California hospital, Smith says his experience has changed his outlook on life — reminding him to “love on each other and take care of each other” and to give back “as much as possible, wherever possible.”
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
What started as a routine work trip quickly turned into a life-threatening health crisis for Ricky Smith — a well-known North Omaha community leader, Omaha Public School Board member, and Empowerment Network program specialist.
Smith has spent weeks in intensive care and nearly a month and a half in California after being diagnosed with sepsis, a severe infection that can cause organ failure and death if not treated quickly. He spoke with me via Zoom from his hospital room in Los Angeles…