A New Jersey man is moving away from the loss of his wife, brother and two other relatives – all of whom died of COVID-19 while living with him, according to a report.
Ed Kemble Jr., 61, of Burlington County, was left wondering how his loved ones contracted the dreaded disease and hopes his tragic story pushes others to follow all safety lines during the pandemic, NJ reports .com.
“It could have come from many different directions. It is invisible. You can’t see it, so you can’t know where it came from, “Kemble Jr., a volunteer firefighter and truck driver, told reporters.
“People should be informed (the virus) is there. “People (should) keep their distance from each other and follow the rules that everyone says,” Kemble added.
Earlier, Kemble’s diabetic wife, Barbara, was taken to hospital in November when she was suffering from dehydration due to kidney problems, according to the report.
She was tested for coronavirus and diagnosed with the disease.
For the next few months, Kemble visited his wife, who had been ill for nearly 40 years – leaving her Jersey Mike panties and iced tea, but not entering her room.
On January 16, Barbara died of a stroke.
“Our whole life has been reflected around the fire company,” said the grieving widower of his wife, who was president of the Washington Fire Company Auxiliary Ladies in Delanco.
“We often spent time in the city park, playing games,” he told NJ.com. “(Coronavirus) has contributed to her (health) problems. Her cause of death was a stroke. ”
In December, Kemble’s mother-in-law, Ruth Sharp Allen, was hospitalized after pneumonia and coughing. She also tested positive for COVID-19 and died on December 2 at the age of 89.
Kemble’s younger brother, John Daniel Kemble, who lost both legs due to diabetes, was then taken to hospital because he needed emergency dialysis, NJ.com reported.
The brother, a former bus driver who held several positions with the Riverside emergency team as an EMT, tested positive for the virus and died of a heart attack on December 7.
And less than a week later, Ruth Allen’s sister, Eileen Wolverton – who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the fall – died at Virtua Willingboro Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
Wolverton, a member of the Delanco / Washington Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, helped care for Kemble’s brother in bed, NJ.com reported.
Kemble said he was receiving his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, along with the rest of the fire company – but he wants the jabs to be widely available sooner so his family could be protected.
“They should have been (available),” he said. “If it were, there would be a lot of people alive.”