“I work side by side with communities and constantly get the message out of vaccinating people,” Wilson explained, “but I couldn’t convince my family members to get vaccinated.”
Wilson, assistant to Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay and wife of Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, said she received a call in August because her uncle, Tyrone Moreland, was ill and down. quickly. “It started with my uncle. He felt so bad. He didn’t eat and cough a lot,” he said. After paramedics took him to the hospital, they discovered that no bed was available in the ICU.
“We checked other hospitals and there was no single bed available in Palm Beach County. They had to transport him to a hospital an hour and a half away,” he said.
A few days later, Wilson’s grandmother, Lillie Mae Dukes Moreland, fell ill. “He went to the hospital, he was tested and he had covidia and pneumonia,” Wilson said. “First my uncle died, then my grandmother died and the day after her death my cousin died.” Three more cousins died in the next two weeks, Wilson said.
In the midst of his pain, Wilson has not stopped trying to convince other people to get vaccinated. “My family is going through hard times, and I wouldn’t like that to any family member anywhere,” he said. “If my family were vaccinated, I would be here today.” Wilson explained that fear and misinformation were big factors in why his family members refused to get vaccinated. “They were just scared,” he said. “Everything was new and they were just scared.”
“Lisa is a quiet force in nature,” McKinlay said. “He’s a person with boots on the ground who has gone door-to-door encouraging people to get tested, wear masks and get vaccinated in a district that is a hot spot,” McKinlay explained.
“I really hope people are encouraged to tell their story and don’t want their family to go through it and get vaccinated,” McKinlay said.
After the loss of his family members, Wilson continues to encourage other people, including his family members, to get vaccinated. “I think I’ve now convinced ten members of my family to get vaccinated. If I can only save one person with my story … We’re at a critical juncture. People are dying.”