Thread by @archivemyracoon

My brother, Kyle Benjamin Spiller, died tonight at around 8pm in Denver of COVID-19. He had been stable the past few days but not improving. His body just wasn't getting enough oxygen, even with a heart/lung bypass doing the breathing and pumping for him.

He had only been married for two years. His wife, Charlotte, had one hell of an impact on him and it was heartwarming to see him start to learn how to love himself. I am so grateful for Charlotte and knowing Kyle wasn't lonely anymore- he had found a real partner.

It wasn't easy growing up with Kyle. He was 4 years older than me and had a bigger personality than I did. We both spent a lot of our childhood trying to make sure our single mom was ok. Mom told me today that he always made her laugh, and now what was she going to do?

This is my mom, hugging my brother Kyle just before he died.

Here we are celebrating Christmas 2014. Kyle's tradition was buying the family weapons every year. 2014 was a handaxe and binoculars.

He was 38 years old. I thought we had years to work out our relationship and connect.

The morning after he passed is so surreal. Every time I woke up during the night I had to check the facts and remember that yes, he really did die. He's gone from here. He will no longer fill a room with his presence and laughter.

Our dad flew in from California to be with Kyle when the news turned poor and was with him when he died. Dad, Charlotte, and our mom and step dad came for an outdoor, masked visit today. We shared memories of Kyle and talked about the strange things grieving people talk about.

Sometimes COVID-19 patients are directed to sing out loud to help get their oxygen going. Kyle's voice was pleasant but his tune was... missing. He obviously didn't care and when the docs told him to sing he sang late enough into the night that other patients complained. Kyle™

Charlotte played a video for us that Kyle had recorded for her of him singing this song in the hospital. My mom said "good god, did it have to be this song?" Our hearts broke a little more.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who read, liked, commented, retweeted, thought about Kyle, or even just thought about your own loved ones. Knowing you all took a moment for him means more than I can say.

Kyle's gofundme is still going, here's the link.
gofundme.com/f/help-for-kyl…

17 days.

In 17 days, Kyle was diagnosed, got worse, WALKED into the ER with an oxygen level of 57 (most people are unconscious at that lvl), WALKED into the ICU to get on a ventilator, transferred to Denver for ECMO heart/lung bypass and dialysis, and died.

He was so stubborn sometimes we all thought he was going to get better and come back. We were concerned, but confident he would be back any day. He just didn't get better in time. He outgrew his body.