The brother of a 33-year-old mother of two who passed away from COVID-19 less than a month after giving birth to a baby boy broke down in tears on CNN on Tuesday morning, pushing host Poppy Harlow to the edge of tears herself before her producers cut away.
Speaking with Harlow, Michael Avilez explained how his sister had become infected with the deadly coronavirus which led doctors to induce labor on November 15th only to have them intubate her right after giving birth.
She died on December 3rd, leaving behind her newborn son, a 1-year-old daughter and a grieving husband.
Avilez briefly broke down in tears and had to pause while describing his last conversation with his sister.
"Michael, what is the last thing that you said to her or that she said to you, because I know you want her life to mean something for anyone who doubts how severe this is," host Harlow asked.
"Look, all I got to tell you is, hug your loved ones, tell them you love them. you know, because with me and my sister, when they had gone to L.A., I was working so much and I would have to leave my house around 4:00 in the morning, and the day she had to come back home, the day I had to come back home, she had to come back home, I didn't say bye to her," he recalled. "And, you know, later on, around 7:00 in the morning, she called and she's like, 'hey, how come you didn't say bye to me?' and I told her, you know, I hate good-byes -- knowing that that'll be the last time that I would talk to her."
At that point he started crying as a distraught Harlow looked on and her producer went to a solo shot of Avilez.
Recovering Avilez added, "Like I said, you know, hug your loved ones, tell them you love them. You know, it's tough, you know, a lot of people don't believe in this pandemic, they say, you know, it's all a hoax. It's not until it happens to them."
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