A mother in Florida is urging people to take coronavirus seriously after two of her children died from the illness in less than two weeks.
Within 11 days, Monete Hicks, of Lauderdale, Florida, lost her 20-year-old son, Byron, and 23-year-old daughter, Mychaela, to COVID-19, according to CNN.
Hicks said both of her kids had been “basically homebound” throughout the pandemic because they each had underlying health issues. But after taking a trip to Orlando, they started to exhibit symptoms.
On June 27, Byron had trouble breathing and was rushed to the hospital.
“They said it was just a matter of time because he was losing so much oxygen,” Hicks told Local 10. “He just went into cardiac arrest and he slipped away.”
Less than a week later, Mychaela began experiencing a fever and headaches and was also hospitalized.
“One minute, I hear she’s fine, she’s stable — the next thing I hear, her kidneys are failing,” Hicks told the news outlet.
Mychaela passed away on July 8th, 11 days after her brother.
Although the primary cause of death for both was COVID-19, morbid obesity and asthma were contributing factors for Byron, while obesity, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were contributing causes for Mychalea, according to NBC News.
Hicks has four other children and is now imploring people to keep their families safe.
"All I can say is, take this, take this (virus) very seriously, because it's real, it's out there," Hicks told CNN. “If you’ve been in contact with the virus, stay away from other people. If you are around other people let them know. Wear your masks, stay sanitized.”
“Just stay home," she added. "Stay home.”
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram
