As hard as it is to relive this nightmare, something is telling me to tell Leonard’s and my story.

Leonard and Leonard’s mother were not vaccinated. I was vaccinated at the beginning of 2021. They were discriminated against for not being vaccinated!

In late July 2021, Leonard, his mother, and I all started feeling bad. We all went to different urgent care facilities because of insurance coverage, and Leonard’s mother lived in a town about 45 minutes from where Leonard and I lived. Leonard’s urgent care did not test him for Covid and just prescribed medications for a sinus/cold. Leonard’s mother’s urgent care facility tested her for Covid. She tested positive, and they told her there is nothing that can be done for it. They told her to go home and ride it out. The urgent care facility I went to tested me for Covid, and I tested positive. I was sent home with some medication more or less used to treat a flu.

Leonard’s symptoms worsened. After about a week, I took him to a stand-alone ER facility called Patient’s ER in Baytown/Mont Belvieu, Texas. When we were called back to a waiting room, I mentioned to a nurse that Leonard was not vaccinated. (Big mistake on my part.) I thought that Leonard would get a more aggressive treatment, but instead, I noticed the nurse visibly pushed him away. At that time, all he got were x-rays that showed an obvious problem with his lungs. The doctor said that he could not send him to a hospital via ambulance because all the hospitals were on drive by. So, they sent him home with an oxygen machine. They also prescribed a few medications via the pharmacy. Inhaler, antibiotic, ect.

In the week that followed, Leonard’s symptoms worsened again. His oxygen level kept falling below 50. I called for an ambulance three times that week. Two of them said all the hospitals were on drive by and that they could not take him to a hospital. The third ambulance EMTs that came, said that they could take him to a hospital in Anahuac, Texas because that hospital had a Covid unit. We were desperate by that time. I was not familiar with this hospital. Leonard spent a full day there and they sent him home. They told him to take Motrin so that he doesn’t get blood clots. By that time, I’m sure he was already getting blood clots. The doctor from the Anahuac hospital also ordered Leonard to get an oxygen machine that would allow more oxygen. His machine went from being able to go to a level 5 to a level 10.

By the end of this week, I had enough watching Leonard suffer. With a portable oxygen tank, I drove him to Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital ER hoping that they would admit him. They took him, but I had to drop Leonard off. I was not allowed to be with him. I never dreamed that would be the last time I would see him alive in person.

The nightmare continued. I only got to talk to Leonard a couple of times. His hypoxia was so bad, he had a difficult time communicating. After about two or three days of being in the hospital, I received a call from a doctor at about 2 AM. The doctor said that they asked Leonard if he wanted to be put on a ventilator, and Leonard shook his head “no.” The doctor called me because he said Leonard was confused due to hypoxia. Taken off guard and surprised, the doctor then asked me if I would authorize the ventilator. I did not have time to think about it, and the doctor gave me false hope that there was a chance Leonard could get better. So, I authorized it. Leonard was placed in an induced coma and put on a ventilator.

Keep in mind that every time I was able to speak to a nurse or doctor, I never got to speak to the same person twice. It was always someone different. Leonard’s progress was like a yo-yo, and my emotions were on a rollercoaster. Sometimes improving and sometimes not. The blood clots were also a major problem. At one time, I definitely remember asking a doctor if they would use Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine on Leonard. The doctor said that those drugs were not FDA approved and were not an option. I am not sure if Remdesivir was used.

Leonard was on a ventilator for about two weeks. During this time, I had to call the ICU and have a nurse allow me to facetime Leonard. Of course, Leonard could not communicate. I was praying that he could at least hear me. We had our 18th wedding anniversary while he was on a ventilator. I also remember getting a call from someone at the hospital informing me about palliative care. I didn’t even know what that was.

At the end of the two weeks, a doctor told me that there was nothing else they could do for Leonard, and his oxygen level kept dropping. I was allowed to see him the day before he was taken off the ventilator only because the Texas law changed September 1st allowing me to be with Leonard in the hospital. I feel spiritually that Leonard passed away and went to be with our Savior before he was taken off of the ventilator. I was asked to authorize a DNR. On September 2nd, Leonard was taken off of the ventilator and coded immediately. They told me not to touch him, but I had to. I had to at least hold his hand.

Leonard’s mother passed away five days after he passed under similar circumstances.

I spoke to several lawyers about what happened to Leonard. No lawyer would take my case because a health care provider is off the hook as long as they offer so much as an aspirin. At least that is what I was told.

God bless you for trying to get justice!