Photo: Family Photo
The family of a 66-year-old woman who died of a breakthrough COVID-19 infection included a powerful message in herobituaryfor people who have chosen not to get the vaccine.
Candace Cay Ayers of Illinois died of COVID-19 complications on Sept. 3, months after she was vaccinated against the virus. Though she was vaccinated, Ayers also hadrheumatoid arthritis, a disease that weakens theimmune system’s ability to fight off infections, according to her family.
Her son, Marc Ayers, toldCNNhis mother likely became infected when she took a trip to Mississippi in July. At the time, COVID-19 cases across the country wereat their lowest in months.
“I took my parents to get that second jab, and we were all so excited,” he told the outlet. “We are a family that believes in science. We believe in masks, and we believe in vaccines. We were ready to get back to normal.”
The family said Ayers was in the ICU and spent the last weeks of her life on a ventilator, according toWLS.
In an interview withToday, Marc said his mother was a “fighter” and had expressed her frustration with people who refused to take precautions for themselves and others during the pandemic.
“Mom was so angry at people for not getting vaccinated and not wearing a mask,” he said.
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“We’re a family that believes in science, believes in the medical advice of the community, medical recommendations from doctors,” he added. “We followed everything very strictly. So all that combined is kind of what we’re still in shock about how it didn’t seem to matter, at least for my mom.”
According to aNew York Timesdatabase, more than 666,800 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.
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source: people.com
