PERRY, Ga. — Former Perry police K-9 officer, Nick Boutwell, lost his battle with COVID-19 on Friday, according to a post on his Facebook.
The 28-year-old went to the hospital with both COVID-19 and pneumonia in July. Boutwell's family confirmed that he was not vaccinated against the virus.
"The damage from COVID was just too much for his body to continue fighting. He will be able to donate organs that were not impacted by COVID. Even in death, Nick is still helping others," the post said.
Boutwell was at Houston Medical, but was airlifted to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
Back in July, the family's pastor, Jordan Kersey, started a GoFundMe to help the family financially during their tough times.
“I've never known anyone that's been this affected by COVID. It's gut-wrenching. You certainly would never think a 28-year-old, happy, and healthy male like Nick would ever be affected,” said Kersey.
Kersey said there had been an overflow of support and was glad to ease the families financial struggles.
“What we saw was less than 8 hours over $20,000 had been donated to this cause. That's indicative of what kind of person Nick is and what he means to everyone that he comes in contact with,” he said.
The post said that Boutwell was surrounded by those he loved and received the best care possible. The family will be posting about funeral arrangements on Facebook.
"Thank you all for the prayers, love and support during the last four weeks. Rest In Peace Nick Boutwell! You were loved by so many; you were an amazing son, a wonderful husband and the best dada ever," said the post.
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