SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Jessica DuPreez and Mike Freedy had been together for 7 years. They share five kids; the youngest is just 1-years-old.
"I didn’t get to hug him goodbye. Hug the people you love. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. You don’t think its going to happens to us," said DuPreez.
Dupreez and Freedy vacationed in San Diego from Las Vegas. After spending a couple of days at Belmont Park and the San Diego Zoo, Freedy had a severe sunburn and went to the hospital.
He tested positive for COVID-19. He was unvaccinated.
“He texted me and said 'I should have gotten the damn vaccine.' I wish we could go back and change it," cries Dupreez. "There is so much conflicting news. We thought let's just wait a year to watch what happens and now I don't have him."
He had pneumonia in his lungs and had trouble breathing. Dupreez was by his side in the hospital when doctors were trying to save him.
"For 30 minutes, they tried to save him. They did everything they could to save him. It was so horrible to watch," said Dupreez.
Five kids are now without their father. Freedy spent his birthday in the hospital. He had just turned 39-years-old.
"We're in our thirties, we don’t have any underlying conditions. We should be fine, but we are not fine. If you are hesitant on getting the vaccine, just do it. What do you have to lose? I didn’t get to hug him goodbye. Now he's going to never be my side again," cries Dupreez.
Dupreez started this GoFundMe page. As of late Friday afternoon, it has raised more than $21,000.
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