Man Loses Mum, Dad, Brother To COVID-19 After They Refused To Be Vaccinated

A man in Wales lost both his parents and brother within a week of each other after testing positive for the coronavirus. Francis Goncalves buried all three of his family members last month and decided to share his heartbreaking story in the hope it will help save lives and encourage people to get their vaccine shots.

Goncalves, 43, whose family lives in Portugal, said his younger brother Shaul, 40, his father Basil, 73 and his mother Charmagne, 65 all started to feel sick on July 10. They had all just shared a meal together that weekend and within two weeks of manifesting COVID-19 symptoms, they had all died.

According to Wales Online, Francis believes his father contracted the virus while in hospital on July 6 to get checked up for kidney stones. His parents had dinner at his brother’s apartment on July 8 after which they all started to feel unwell.

His brother’s girlfriend said she could feel something was not right as Shaul complained that he felt like he was filled with weight and that he was tired. Shaul and his girlfriend went for a COVID test and the results turned out positive. Francis said his parents also started to feel really ill and on July 12 he got a text from his father saying they have been admitted into the hospital after having tested positive for COVID.

Francis had difficulty getting in touch with his parents as he lived in Cardiff. On July 14, he found out that his father was moved to the intensive care unit as he also had underlying health issues. At that point, each of his family members’ condition started to deteriorate, prompting Francis to make immediate plans to fly to Portugal.

Having been able to still communicate with his brother, Francis learned his father eventually had to be hooked to a ventilator and put into an induced coma. Shaul’s condition also started to decline as he told Francis that his mucus had turned from green to brown. He had since told him to take extra care as this could be a sign of pneumonia.

Francis knew he had to get to Portugal immediately. But having to wait for his COVID test results as required for him to fly out, he received a text saying his brother had already been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. At 1am that same day, Shaul’s girlfriend called Francis to let him know that his brother had passed away that evening.

Meanwhile, Francis had to get hold of a law firm in Portugal to help him contact his parents as Shaul had been the only means he was able to get in touch with his parents. On July 20, Francis got a call from the hospital to inform him that his father had died. The following day, Francis was able to catch a flight out to Portugal in the hopes of still being able to talk to his mother.

He arrived at the hospital but his mother had already been put into an induced coma. The hospital allowed him to go inside the room to be with her but he knew this was already a sign that his mother was in critical condition. On July 24, the hospital called to say that his mother had passed away.

Francis buried his family next to each other on August 1 in a cemetery in Lisbon where a section has been allotted for COVID-related deaths. "I asked about exhuming the bodies at a later date and moving them somewhere outside a dedicated Covid zone, as it didn't represent my family. But they said that unfortunately not knowing enough about Covid there is no intention of moving them ever," a heartbroken Francis said.

He flew back to Cardiff on August 6 and thought it best to share his story. Shaul, he said, was the healthiest person he knew and had not had alcohol in 15 years. He ate whole food and a plant-based diet. Francis believes that had his brother been vaccinated, he would still be alive.

Francis Goncalves’ brother and parents did not get their coronavirus vaccines because they were scared due to the misinformation and anti-vaccination propaganda.