UFW Co-Founder Dolores Huerta Hospitalized Again

United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta has been hospitalized again while recovering from surgery to fix a rare intestinal condition.

Huerta, 70, was readmitted to Bakersfield Heart Hospital on Friday to remove fluid from her lungs and to treat a possible infection, said Emilio Huerta, her son. She was in fair condition Monday.

She had been at a rehabilitation center since being released from the hospital Nov. 16. She suffered a condition that left her fighting for her life for more than a week and kept her hospitalized nearly three weeks.

Emilio Huerta said his mother has regained strength, is talking and is using a walker to get around. She is expected to make a full recovery without side effects and is looking forward to going home.

“It’s taken more out of her than we all anticipated,” Emilio Huerta said Monday. “We had never seen anybody or anything put her down for so long.”

Dolores Huerta joined with the late Cesar Chavez in 1962 to found the UFW. She stepped down as UFW secretary-treasurer in September to help campaign for Al Gore.

Huerta was first hospitalized Oct. 25 with a bleeding ulcer. She was released two days later, but readmitted Oct. 29. Doctors operated on her the following day to close a rare opening of the aortic artery within the intestines. She was in critical condition for eight days.