An unimaginable tragedy for one woman who, in the wake of the pandemic, has lost both her first love and her firstborn mere days apart to COVID-19.
Angenine Poonwassie said even more heartbreaking was that both men became fully vaccinated in order to give her a fighting chance at not contracting the disease.
In an interview with Guardian Media at her Tunapuna home, Poonwassie said it was that unconditional love she will now struggle to live without.
“My husband was the best husband in the whole wide world. Every single thing that man do for me. I couldn’t deserve a better husband than him in my whole life.”
Among the many acts of selfless love that spanned nearly five decades, Michael never wavered in his vow to protect his wife.
“He was a merchandiser and he was working on the outside and I home as a housewife and that is why he say he taking the vaccine, to protect me because he on the outside and he did not want nothing to happen to me at home that is why he take the vaccine.”
Back in June, both Michael and his eldest son, 47-year-old Clinton received their first Sinopharm doses on the same day. Their vaccination cards showed their second shots were also administered and by July both men were fully inoculated.
Clinton Poonwassie
According to the World Health Organization, vaccines can stop most people from getting sick with COVID-19, but not everyone.
Even after someone takes all of the recommended doses and waits a few weeks for immunity to build up, there is still a chance that they can get infected.
As the bodies of both father and son built protection from the vaccine, the promise of greater guard against the virus was tested.
Less than a month ago, however, the entire family would contract the virus.
“Around the 6th or 7th of September we started feeling sick, all of us together. Then my husband carried me to the doctor and I visit a doctor for about a week. My boy say how he going and get the PCR test and Sunday morning, which was the 19th, he got back the result he was positive.”
Within days of their diagnosis, Angenine’s heart would be shattered.
“On the 20th when everybody get up in the morning my husband was slumped on the ground. When he died and the DMO came, he said it was a heart attack. My husband had taken the test too and after they take the body, that same day, the nurse called and say his result was also positive.”
However, Angenine’s nightmare had not come to an end.
“By the Tuesday, my son was sick. He also had chest pains so we called the ambulance and they took him Arima and they start working on him and I went into the Couva hospital the same day. I spent about 10 days in Couva and two days before I come out he died. I was in disbelief.”
Angenine said the loss of her husband and son ten days apart was inconceivable.
Angenine Poonwassie speaking to GML about the death of both her husband and soM from Covid-19 is being comforted by a family member at her Cacupai Road, Tunapuna home.
NICOLE DRAYTON
“The two of them were two healthy men in my house, two working healthy men...the only two working in the house.”
As she fought back the tears, Angenine said she was now only left with the memories of her loved ones. “I miss them. I miss everything about them. The pain is unbearable. Both brought so much joy and happiness to this home. My heart real hurting.”
Angenine said despite her misery, she will never discourage someone from taking a COVID-19 vaccine.
