Crede Bailey has been hospitalized with coronavirus for three months, but is recovering from the illness, a friend said, according to Bloomberg.
Crede Bailey, who heads the White House security office, lost part of lower right leg, including his foot, and a toe on his left foot during a monthslong battle with COVID-19, Bloomberg reported Monday.
Bailey, whose office handles White House credentials and works with the Secret Service, contracted the coronavirus in September and has been hospitalized for three months, but is reportedly recovering from the illness.
Friends of Bailey's have raised more than $35,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his rehabilitation and healthcare.
"Crede beat COVID-19 but it came at a significant cost: his big toe on his left foot as well as his right foot and lower leg had to be amputated," Dawn McCrobie, a friend who organized the fundraiser, wrote last week, Bloomberg reported.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment about Bailey's condition to Business Insider and Bloomberg reported that Bailey's family requested that the White House not publicly acknowledge his illness.
Last month, McCrobie wrote that Bailey's "family has staggering medical bills from a hospital stay of 2+ months and still counting in the ICU and a long road ahead in rehab before he can go home." She added that Bailey will need to pay for a slew of physical alterations in his home and a car that he can operate to accommodate his disability.
Dozens of top administration officials and people tied to the White House have contracted COVID-19 and President Donald Trump has consistently downplayed the threat the virus poses. The president, who himself contracted the virus and was hospitalized for several days, has told Americans not to "be afraid of COVID," mocked those who wear face masks, and condemned aggressive state measures taken to slow the spread of the virus.
