Nick Cordero's wife, Amanda Kloots, knows how terrifying the coronavirus can be firsthand. Her husband has been sick in the hospital for about 77 days and has missed out on so many wonderful fatherhood milestones. Nick, who's a 41-year-old Canadian actor, is most popular for his onstage roles. A few years back, he was nominated for a Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical for his performance in Bullets Over Broadway.
Nick and Amanda got married back in 2017 and didn't waste time trying to start a family. Their son, Elvis, recently turned 1. Amanda, sadly, had to celebrate alone.
The actor was initially diagnosed with pneumonia but headed to intensive care after he had trouble breathing. "My sweet husband needs your prayers please," she first wrote on Instagram, with a picture of Nick holding a then 9-month-old Elvis. "Nick has been sick for a while with what we were told last week was pneumonia. Unfortunately, we think he was misdiagnosed and we are waiting to hear if this is in fact COVID," she wrote. "He is scared, in the ICU and now unconscious so his body can get enough oxygen. We are all trying to stay positive and strong knowing that he is in the best care."
His diagnosis was as they feared. Every day, Nick Cordero's health has been a roller coaster. Even worse, doctors have said he may still have months to go.
"My hubby is fighting like a champ but this is serious," she continued. "Please stay home everybody. Thank you to everyone who has been helping us so far you know who are and you are all angels." Since posting, she's had varying reports on Nick's health.
"I've been told a couple times that he won't make it," she said. "I've been told to say goodbye. I've been told it would take a miracle. Well, I have faith…. He's still here and despite his odds gets slightly, slightly better every day. Where there is faith, there is hope." Right now she's in limbo — and serving as the solo parent.
He sadly missed Elvis' first birthday, which Amanda celebrated online with a throwback photo. In it, she explained Elvis's birth story, mentioning that he took his sweet time to make his grand arrival. But prior to, she and Nick went out for a celebratory dinner date — their last before becoming parents.
But recently, he missed out on being there when his son walked for the first time. It's good that Amanda took a video of the moment so that he can witness it from the hospital. But it's still sad knowing that such a powerful virus stole this milestone away from him. As for Elvis, he looks ecstatic over his new skill.
But if it makes Nick feel better, even Amanda missed the very first steps. This video was a later attempt. "Elvis took his first steps," she wrote on Instagram. "I missed them, but his grandparents saw them and I think that's adorable. And then as soon as he saw me he did it for me, so that was really cute."
Amanda recently gave some upsetting updates on Nick's health, saying that all in all, it could be up to a year before he returns home. Posted on her Instagram stories but reported via Hollywood Reporter, she said, "After Nick gets out of the hospital, 'cause he is getting out of this hospital, he would go to a rehab center and probably be at a rehab center for a year before even coming home."
She got into it after a fan asked if she knew when Nick would be released. "Unfortunately it could be months from now still," she admitted. "Best case scenario. We've got a long, long road ahead." A story like this is proof that the virus is a lot more dangerous than many people are giving it credit for.
At the age of 41, Nick is still fairly young. But the virus has changed him as a person. "That's what's so heartbreaking is he's so weak," Amanda said. "He still can't move and his muscles are definitely atrophying. He's lost 65 lbs." It sounds like they'll have to rebuild a lot of his muscle and help him learn how to move again.
He can't even hold conversations with his family. "He can't speak unfortunately," she said. "He can't really even move, you guys. That's how weak he is. He looks up, he looks down, he looks left and right. And he answers questions, yes and no questions. A 'yes' is looking up and 'no' looks down."
Nick's blood pressure has also been something that the family has been concerned about. According to Amanda, his readings seem to be all over the place, which is what they're currently hoping to fix. During this time, he's also had to go through prone ventilation again, which happens while the patient is lying flat on their chest.
Since he's been in the hospital, Amanda has been mostly catching up with him through FaceTime. But based on his conditions, their communication is nothing like it used to be. She's not even aware if Nick fully comprehends that they had to amputate his leg.
"I have told him about his leg, and I've told him about the amazing prosthetics that are available now, and I told him that he's gonna be fine," she said. But still, it's going to be an intense shock when he's officially on the mend and making more sense over what happened while he was sick.
All in all, it's a situation that the young family never could have predicted. The coronavirus literally changed and threatened Nick's life, and he's still not out of the woods. It's hard to imagine how much pain and pressure Amanda is going through — but she's probably very thankful for her health and Elvis' health.
Right now, Amanda is still working as a digital trainer. She has a subscription that fans can purchase to get access to weekly workout videos. Hopefully, being able to focus on her physical health is also helping her process the big changes that 2020 have brought.
