My Dad, Felix, proudly served the US as a RECON Marine. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in the 1960s during a water contamination that resulted in lymphoma later in life. This is a travesty that has impacted 1000s and that the US govt acknowledges. He died over Christmas (1/7)
in the exceptional #VA hospital of southwest Virginia. He had contracted #COVID and it had damaged his lungs to the point where he could not breathe or survive without 60L of high flow O2. His doctors and nurses were remarkable on all levels. He was vaccinated, but (2/7)
his lymphoma made his B cells unable to generate antibodies. His VA doctor explained how she had many men with my Dad’s lymphoma that could not make antibodies and had an unusually poor prognosis with COVID even with monoclonal antibody treatment— just not getting better. (3/7)
To all his fellow #marines with lymphoma, my father would want you to know this vulnerability that exceeds what even I appreciated. I still recall his VA oncologist years ago telling him his lymphoma was a chronic condition they could treat and that he would die of (4/7)
something else. We never imagined it would be COVID. My father decided the end had come and the fight was over. With us by his side, he asked his nurse to disconnect his O2 and he died minutes later. His nurse collapsed with us in despair at the loss of this beautiful, (5/7)
honorable, brave soul—the man who made me who I am. I am grateful for the care and compassion of the VA staff. Losses like that of my dad can be prevented. The only vaccinated veterans on the COVIDward where my dad died were those w/ lymphoma. All others were unvaccinated. (6/7)
Life is precious. We must protect the vulnerable where vaccines have less efficacy. This world is less for the loss of a kind man who connected with people wherever he went making deep friendships. My life has a hole that can’t be filled. #CovidVaccine #GetVaxxed #Veterans #USMC
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