KENS 5 anchor Sarah Forgany is out of ICU, says colleague Deborah Knapp

Sarah Forgany was hospitalized just two days ago after being placed in an ICU bed after struggling with pneumonia (Picture Source: Pinterest)

KENS 5 anchor Sarah Forgany is out of the intensive care unit, which she suffered from a week ago, according to her colleague Deborah Knapp.

Knapp posted on Facebook on Thursday that Forgany had been moved into a regular hospital room. “Great news Facebook friends! Sarah Forgany has moved out of the ICU today after 10 days. I can’t believe she hasn’t been able to be there for us, but we know she misses her family and loved ones every day. Thank you so much to all who have reached out to see how Sarah is doing and thank you all again to @nursingforyou for making this happen & saving our lives,” wrote Knapp.

Forgany last shared photos from the hospital on Feb. 20.

In a photo shared by a fan, Forgany looked tired and worn out. The photo showed her sitting in a chair covered in tubes and tubes. In another picture, she posed with fellow nurses with bandages covering both eyes.

Forgany was hospitalized on Jan. 18 when she complained of a low-grade fever after having dinner with some coworkers at work. At one point, she stopped breathing, and her lungs were filled with fluid.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Dr. John Whitehead, chief medical officer at New York Presbyterian Health Network, said Togany started experiencing shortness of breath around 8 p.m., which left her wheelchaired and unresponsive. Her temperature rose rapidly and she couldn’t eat or drink anything without losing fluids. She ended up in the ER.

“We’re very confident we are going to get her home,” he said. “We really need to do more testing as well, because we don’t know if this is something that will go away on its own. And it only took one night to turn it away and she continued to struggle.”

Whitehead said that the team at NYU Langone Medical Center is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and will keep trying to figure out what caused her illness.

“We’ve got great people. We have good teams, great communication mechanisms, great access to information and we’re still going to look at everything that occurred,” he said.

Forgany’s colleagues are also looking into whether they can work with the hospital to ensure that the infection doesn’t spread to patients in other hospitals or to their families.

“We do think that what happened to her could be from someone else across town, not just within the hospital,” Knapp responded. “And that would be my hope and wish that this didn’t get into anybody else, including her family and loved ones. So, we really want to do what we can to make sure that nothing happens to them.”

Forgany was born June 23, 1988, in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up, she graduated from the prestigious University of Akron before attending Northwestern University to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, Forgany went on to study at Stanford University where she studied under Andrew Bostrom for three years.

She then worked in aerospace manufacturing until she decided to focus on health care. By 2010, Forgany joined the nursing practice in 2013.

Forgany had a heart attack in 2018 and spent nearly a year recovering. The following year, she underwent surgery to repair damaged arteries. A year later, a stroke took place — affecting multiple areas of her body. During this time, she also suffered from frequent fevers and chills, and even lost weight.

In February 2021, Forgany fell ill with a new illness that led to a brain bleed disorder known as hydrocephalus. This condition causes excess pressure in the brain, which leads to increased fluid buildup and swelling. It also makes it difficult for Forgany to maintain water balance, leading to dry skin, lack of appetite and confusion.

Forgany was initially diagnosed with meningitis — a virus that attacks the membranes of the brain and spinal cord — but was eventually diagnosed with a rare brain disease called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus damages the brain and spinal cord and leads to the accumulation of fluid in the brain. Although Forgany had a mild case of the virus, doctors realized that it could cause extensive damage to the brain and spinal cord if left untreated.

She was given six months to live, which she is currently living almost four months longer than expected.