My young son’s COVID-related death was totally avoidable. Yes, it can happen to you.
More than 702,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to COVID so far. My incredible son, Tyler Gilreath, was one.
Saturday is his funeral.
Tyler was a bright, witty, fun-loving young man who loved music, technology and anything with wings or wheels. He was 20, and excited to be returning to college after taking some time off from school and working full time during the pandemic. He contracted COVID only three days after moving off campus to attend UNC Wilmington.
He was very sick for about three weeks with nausea, vomiting, a 102-degree temperature and digestive issues. He lost 20 pounds off his slight frame and developed a severe sinus infection. Although he received antibiotics for the sinus infection, it was too late to have an impact on the staph infection that had entered his brain and ruptured.
After noticing some erratic behavior, his roommates took him to the emergency room on Sept. 20. He had lost much of the control of his right side of his body. He was rushed into surgery Sept. 21 for a craniotomy to remove as much of the infection as possible. He regained consciousness for a short while after surgery and was able to squeeze our hands and respond to a few simple cues. He even opened his eyes for a moment and looked directly into mine. He knew we were there.
From there, things worsened. He had to have a second craniotomy and several drains placed in his brain. Over several days I watched my son decline more and more. He was on a ventilator, and his eyes became non-reactionary. Finally, a CAT scan showed that blood was no longer entering his brain.
I cannot explain the depth of the pain I felt as I watched the life drain from my baby’s body over those five days. It was the hideous nightmare no mother should ever have to endure.
Our family is devastated. There is a Tyler-sized hole in our hearts that can never be filled.
Prior to COVID, my son was a vivacious, healthy young adult with no pre-existing conditions.
No, Tyler was not vaccinated. He rationalized that a healthy 20-year-old who gets COVID “won’t get that sick.” I cajoled, encouraged, threatened and nagged him to get vaccinated. I even told him it was my only birthday wish. He finally agreed to get vaccinated as soon as he moved to school. He didn’t get that chance.
Tyler’s death was totally avoidable if he had been vaccinated. I am begging those who are unvaccinated to please act now. No family should ever have to go through this. It CAN happen to you.
The only thing that brings any sense of meaning to this needless tragedy is that Tyler signed up to be an organ donor when he got his driver’s license. With his heart, kidneys, pancreas and liver, four other people will get the gift of life. His lungs will be donated to science for further COVID research.
He will live on in my heart and through those recipients. I know he is with God, but the chasm in our lives will never go away. I love you, Son. Rest in peace.
Tamra Demello lives in Apex. Her son, Tyler Gilreath, died Sept. 28 of COVID-19 related issues.
