When all three members of the Mandarino family contracted COVID-19, Billy was bedridden with a fever for days, while his wife, Desa, and daughter, Gianna, had only mild symptoms. Billy’s condition worsened and he became unable to walk. Desa rushed him to the Emergency Department at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where Billy was diagnosed with a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system. “The speed at which the experts at Cottage diagnosed and treated me made all the difference in my treatment and recovery,” he said. Today — thanks to intensive and compassionate care from the Cottage team, Billy has made a complete recovery and is back with his family and his active life.

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