Dad Gets COVID-19 On Day Of Vaccination, Dies Hours Later

KEY POINTS

A 68-year-old Kentucky man died of COVID-19 a day after he was supposed to receive his first vaccine shot
His daughter has urged those who are hesitant to get vaccinated to get the shot as soon as they can
A GoFundMe was launched to raise money for her father's funeral expenses

A 68-year-old man in Campbell County, Kentucky, died of COVID-19 a day after he was supposed to get his first vaccine shot.

Steven Brown, of Fort Thomas, passed away on Aug. 28 after testing positive for the coronavirus, Local 12 reported.

Due to the rising cases of the delta variant, Brown had planned to get his first vaccine shot on Aug. 27, but he opted to cancel it as he woke up feeling sick that day, according to the outlet.

"He doesn’t have any taste or smell senses; he’s coughing and he said to me, 'You know what? I think I’m going to reschedule. I don’t want to get anyone else sick,'" Brown's daughter, Molly, recalled of their conversation.

Her brother later went to their father's apartment to check on him after no one heard from their dad for hours. Paramedics were called in as Brown's "breathing difficulties [were] getting worse," according to Molly.

Their father later video-called Molly from St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Thomas, just hours before he would pass away.

"I didn't think this was the last time I was going to see my dad alive," Molly said.

Molly urged everyone who hasn't received the vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as they can. "You don’t want to give your kids the last image of you on a ventilator fighting for your life," she was quoted as saying.

Brown is set to be buried at St. Stephen's Cemetery right next to the plot of his wife, Helen, who died in 1993.

The two plots had been purchased in the same year, but funeral services for Brown have not been finalized as thousands of dollars are still needed to help bury him next to his wife.

A GoFundMe for Brown was launched on Aug. 29 with the aim to raise $7,000 for his burial.

"His only dying wish was that he be buried next to our mom. He even bought a double plot at St. Stephen’s Cemetery when mom died to ensure that he’d be next to her forever," the fundraiser's caption read.

Around 176 million Americans, or about 53% of the U.S. population, have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. has recorded 40.3 million COVID-19 cases and 650,000 deaths thus far, data provided by Johns Hopkins University showed.