COVID Took My Partner’s Brother: The Ongoing Pandemic Struggles
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Understanding the Impact of COVID-19
On my way home from work, I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a few essentials. As I exited, a man approached the bank next door. He was robust and tall, exiting a truck, dressed in boots and jeans. However, what caught my attention was his gray hoodie emblazoned with the phrase, “NOT VACCINATED, FULLY PROTECTED,” accompanied by an image of a rifle.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes dramatically, grateful for my ADHD medication that kept my impulse to express my disdain at bay. The world is filled with individuals like him, and usually, I can ignore them. But that day was different.
Just three days prior, my partner’s brother passed away in the ICU after contracting COVID-19. He was only 37—a construction worker beloved by his colleagues. Despite a troubled past, he emerged determined to build a better future for himself. I had met him a few times, and he made me feel like family.
I had taken the day off work to support my partner and her family, sitting silently in the ICU waiting room as they clung to fading hope, alternating between tears and quiet despair. They had chosen to stay at a hotel nearby, while I returned to my partner’s home to care for the dog. After pouring a glass of whiskey, I collapsed onto the couch. At one in the morning, I received two heartbreaking messages: “He’s gone” and “We watched him die.”
The True Cost of Loss
This is the harsh reality of losing someone to this virus: we will endure, but we will never truly move on. I don’t want to forget; he will live on in our hearts. The void left behind will remain because he will always be there with us. Grief is the price we pay for love, and if this is the cost of loving my brother, I would willingly pay it countless times.
My brother will continue to die in my memories, yet he will also be reborn in my thoughts and dreams. I aspire to embody his spirit, humor, and kindness.
He missed his vaccination appointment due to work obligations, only to return home and find his apartment had collapsed. Tragically, his grandmother contracted the virus from someone who was unknowingly infected despite being vaccinated, which led to the outbreak.
Despite the ongoing rhetoric, this virus is no laughing matter. It can devastate your health—or the health of someone you care about. Fortunately, we now have access to three effective vaccines that are free and widely available. The worst side effects are merely a sore arm or mild discomfort.
Consider the sight of loved ones emerging from the ICU after witnessing their family member struggle for life, then tell me that COVID-19 is not a threat. Or perhaps cultivate a bit of empathy and recognize that the mere act of getting vaccinated could spare others a lifetime of sorrow.
Or don’t. Continue your misguided bravado while donning that hoodie, proclaiming your disdain for vaccines and valuing firearms over the well-being of your family.
It’s frustrating to express such anger, but I’m exasperated. The refusal to get vaccinated stems from a dangerous and foolish pride. This issue should never have been political, yet we live in a society where misinformation can lead to the rejection of scientific truths.
In less than three centuries, America has deteriorated, and I am over it.
Be better.