It’s a startling start to an obituary announcing Candace Cay Ayers ’passing for serious COVID-19 complications.
“It was preceded by the death of more than 4,531,799 people infected with covid-19. She was vaccinated, but was infected by others who chose not to be vaccinated. The cost was his life, ”it reads.
The mother from Springfield, Illinois, was 66 and received the second shot of the Modern vaccine in March, said Marc Ayers, her son.
But the family believes he caught the blunt infection in July after visiting an unvaccinated friend in Mississippi. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died on September 3, three weeks after being placed in a ventilator.
“My mother was a fighter … and my mother was so angry with people for not getting vaccinated and not wearing a mask,” Marc Ayers, 36, said TODAY.
“The mother talked a lot about people refusing to take these precautions, so it seemed like a good idea to put it in the obituary and make a statement about it.”
Her sister, Amanda, wrote the obituary, with the family hoping to inspire people to get vaccinated and continue to take precautions as COVID-19 cases increase.
“We did everything they advised us to do”
Candace Ayers was relieved to be fully vaccinated this spring because she had a pre-existing illness, rheumatoid arthritis and was already immunocompromised, her son said.
The entire family, including her 68-year-old husband, Terry, and both adult children were beaten at the same time. They continued to avoid eating inside restaurants and continued to wear masks while shopping for groceries, Marc Ayers recalled.
“We did everything we were advised to do,” he said.
“We are a family that believes in science, believes in the medical advice of the community, in the medical recommendations of doctors. We followed everything very strictly. Therefore, all this combined is a kind of thing that still surprises us about how it seemed that it didn’t matter, at least for my mother ”.
In mid-July, Candace and Terry Ayers drove to Mississippi to visit an unvaccinated friend whose husband had previously had COVID-19 and died. Everyone thought the couple would be safe, as both were vaccinated and advanced cases at the time were rare, his son said.
“I wish there was a better science at the time that said maybe they should stay home, maybe these precautions are good for normal people, but (not) for the immunocompromised. I wish doctors they would not have authorized my mother to travel to Mississippi. ”
When the couple returned home five days later, Candace Ayers was already feeling very tired and later developed joint pain, nausea and coughing, Marc Ayers recalled. On July 28 she tested positive for COVID-19, while her husband tested positive three days later. Her case was mild, but she continued to deteriorate.
After two emergency room visits, Candace Ayers was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. As oxygen levels continued to drop, a fan was put on him. Just when he seemed to get better, he developed sepsis.
“After that, any progress my mother would have made to improve her lungs a little was erased and pneumonia took over revenge,” her son said.
“The last week or so when he lived, his lungs were completely white on x-ray: they had been completely filled with fluid and infections.”
She was completely sedated and could not squeeze the hands of her loved ones. They don’t know if he was aware they were there. Doctors told the family to consider comfort, which involves administering pain medication, removing life support and letting it go peacefully. This happened on September 3rd.
“He breathed about four or five breaths later and died right there in a matter of minutes,” his son said.
“I just wish people who weren’t vaccinated would read my mother’s story, what we went through as a family, and see if that’s what their loved ones want to go through, because I can probably assure you not.”
Marc Ayers urged everyone to get the vaccine and wear a mask to protect themselves and others. Already acquaintances and strangers have contacted him to tell him they were shot after reading his mother’s story and he said, “It’s already working and so the more we can keep talking about it, the better. will be”.