Three members of a Southern California family died from COVID-19 in as many weeks, according to a new report.
Fabian Levario, 53, who nicknamed Chino, never revealed how sick he was until he had to go to hospital on Nov. 23, his daughter, Valerie Levario, told KABC.
“It was hard for him to breathe,” Valerie told the network. “It was difficult for him to talk.”
Chino, who received a kidney transplant 16 years ago, died two weeks later, his daughter said.
He was a freelance handyman who also played in a Long Beach band for 20 years, according to Valerie, who said he was passionate about making music and spending time with his family.
While she was planning the funeral, Chino’s sister, Deborah, fell ill with pneumonia, according to the report.
“I had my grandmother call the emergency center to take her to the hospital just in case,” Valerie told the network.
A blood test showed that Deborah had COVID antibodies, indicating that she too was infected, Valerie said. She later died.
And six days later, Deborah’s husband, Armando Padilla, also died of the virus. According to Valerie, he had no underlying health problems.
Deborah and Armando left behind an 8-year-old son, Armando Jr. He is now being cared for by his grandmother.
Valerie said she’s struggling to face the three losses. It is unclear how the family – which did not meet and always wore masks – became infected.
“It’s very upsetting and I’m still trying to process it, and still trying to understand why,” she said.
Now Valerie is encouraging everyone to take the virus seriously and wear masks.
“Don’t be selfish,” she said. “People are dying from this and it’s not fair.”