Three members of a Southern California family have died of COVID-19 in as many weeks, according to a new report.
Fabian Levario, 53, nicknamed Chino, never revealed how ill he was until he had to go to the hospital on November 23, his daughter Valerie Levario told KABC.
“It was hard for him to breathe,” Valerie told the network. “It was hard for him to talk.”
Chino, who underwent a kidney transplant 16 years ago, died two weeks later, his daughter said.
He was an independent professional who also played in a Long Beach band for 20 years, according to Valerie, who said he is passionate about music and spending time with his family.
While planning the funeral, Chino’s sister, Deborah, fell ill with pneumonia, according to the report.
“I had my grandmother call 911 to take her to the hospital just in case,” Valerie told the network.
A blood test found that Deborah had COVID antibodies, which indicated that she was also infected, according to Valerie. He later died.
And six days later, Debora’s husband, Armando Padilla, also died of the virus. He had no underlying health problems, according to Valerie.
Deborah and Armando left behind an 8-year-old son, Armando Jr. He is now cared for by his grandmother.
Valerie said she was struggling to cope with the three losses. It is not clear how the family – which did not gather and always wore masks – became infected.
“It’s very shocking and we’re still trying to process it and we’re still trying to understand why,” she said.
Now, Valerie encourages everyone to take the virus seriously and wear masks.
“Don’t be selfish,” she said. “People die because of it and it’s not fair.”