An Alabama mother is urging people who are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine to get it after losing her own healthy 28-year-old son to the virus.
Mother urges others to get vaccinated after losing ‘healthy’ 28-year-old son to COVID-19
Christy Carpenter works at a local hospital where she reserves beds for patients, along with her daughter Cayla, 22.
The couple was hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it was made available to front-line workers because the vaccine was “developed too quickly,” according to Christy.
Christy said she and her family wore their masks diligently and decided to wait a bit before finally taking the hit. She would later regret that decision after she, her daughter and son, Curt, contracted the virus.
Christy said she and her children started out with mild symptoms.
Cayla and Curt even seemed to be improving over time.
Unlike her children, Christy began to feel nauseous and decided to go to the hospital to drink some fluids to relieve her symptoms. But what she thought would be a quick visit turned into an extended hospital stay.
“By the time I got back there, I could barely breathe. I couldn’t catch my breath. And I hadn’t had any trouble breathing after having COVID,” Christy said.
Her daughter stayed with her until morning and decided to go home to get some rest before her shift at the same hospital that night.
Christy said that when her daughter got home, her son, Curt, seemed better. But when her daughter finished getting ready for work, Curt was lying on the couch and seemed to be having trouble talking.
Christy’s daughter called 911 and Curt was taken to the hospital.
He was immediately admitted to the ICU and the next day was put on a ventilator. Christy said that once she and Curt were deemed not contagious, she was given permission to visit him.
Curt seemed to be improving until one day, one of his lungs collapsed. However, Christy still had hope. She had every intention of taking her son home and preparing for the aftercare he would need after such a long period in the ICU.
But doctors soon told Christy and the family that Curt’s organs were beginning to fail. That’s when she knew her son wouldn’t make it.
Curt died on May 2 after being in the hospital for 51 days, and Christy believes the death could have been avoided entirely if the family had received the vaccine.
Now, Christy’s family members who were once also hesitant are changing their minds and are now vaccinated or are scheduling an appointment to get vaccinated after Curt’s tragic death.
Both Christy and her daughter are scheduled to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine this week.
