Two sisters died within days of each other late last month after contracting the novel coronavirus.
Mary Martin, 64, died on June 25, while her sister, Joan Martin, 71, died three days after. Neither of them had been vaccinated against the virus.
When Stabroek News contacted the family, Mary’s daughter, Rackell Martin told this newspaper that her mother contracted the virus first and subsequently fell ill.
She explained that her mother possibly got COVID-19 from a colleague who worked in the same building and informed them that he had tested positive for the virus. Rackell stated that her mother began self-quarantine and was not tested for COVID-19 in early June.
“They had to stay home for a while, the people who shared the building. The other staff that work in the building did a test but mommy she come home and told us but you know she don’t work close with him so she didn’t really think to go and do a test,” she said.
After being home for a few days, the woman complained of feeling ill, developed pain in her neck and was unable to move around on her own. Rackell noted that she suspected that her mom had contracted the virus but she refused to go to the hospital at that stage. Just seven days after reporting that she was feeling ill, her condition worsened and she was then rushed to the hospital.
While at home and feeling ill, Rackell stated that they used a number of home remedies to treat symptoms that her mom had at the time. When asked why her mother was not taken to the hospital shortly after developing symptoms, she noted that her mom was not willing to go and was fearful after hearing stories of persons who succumbed to the virus while there.
“I decided to call the ambulance and when they come, they test her sugar and her pressure and it was very high so they had to take her to the hospital,” Rackell said while noting that her mom had diabetes and hypertension. The following day when she visited the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) to see her mother, she discovered that she was moved to the Liliendaal Infectious Disease facility.
“The Thursday afternoon I received a call from them and they said she’s not doing well, she’s feeding from tubes and they cannot control the sugar and the pressure,” she said.
The next day she received a call from one of the doctors at the facility who told her that they were unable to stabilize her blood sugar and blood pressure and she died.
Rackell revealed that her aunt, Joan Martin was with her when they returned to the GPHC to inquire about her mom’s condition. At this time when they were about to return home, she stated that she observed her aunt had developed a cold and in the days leading up to her mom’s death her aunt’s cold had worsened.
After Mary’s death, relatives took Joan to the hospital as her condition became worse. It was at the GPH that she was given oxygen and was then told that she would be taken to the Liliendaal facility. It was at this time that the aunt too expressed fear of being admitted to the infectious disease facility.
“But she felt better and come home the Saturday night then Sunday she got worse, Monday it was terrible, she could have hardly breathe, she could hardly talk and then we call the ambulance then they came and said her oxygen level was low and then she had an infection in her lungs and she had to go up Ocean View,” Rackell revealed.
While her aunt Joan was taken to the facility at Liliendaal on Monday evening, on Tuesday just before midday, she received a call from doctors who reported that her aunt too had died. Family members suspect that Joan contracted the virus after being in contact with Mary.
Her aunt’s death came as a shock to Rackell as she noted that her aunt was very healthy and did not have any underlying conditions.
Meanwhile, other family members who were in contact with both women were tested for the virus and their tests returned negative. However, even after being cleared, Rackell noted that the family still faces some level of stigma in their community as persons now shun them. She noted that both deaths took a toll on the family as Joan and Mary together stood as the backbone of their immediate family circle.
