NASSAU, Bahamas – A family is grieving after losing their mother and brother to COVID-19 just a day apart, The Tribune reported on Tuesday, August 24.
Blyth Bailey, a bubbly church-loving mother-of-four and grandmother to seven, loved watching movies, cracking jokes and attending Mount Tabor Church with her close-knit family.
But after a brief fight with COVID-19, she died on Saturday – one day before her 36-year-old son also succumbed to the disease.
Left behind are stunned and heartbroken relatives, several of whom are battling COVID-19 as well and have been in and out of hospital with serious symptoms of the disease.
Mrs Bailey, 62, was an insurance company worker. She and her son, Police Sergeant Nathaniel Bailey, thought they could beat the virus with a regimen of vitamins, bush medicine and rest.
They never imagined their condition would deteriorate so quickly, according to daughter and sister, Alicia Bailey, who said yesterday: “We are overwhelmed right now.”
Ms Bailey, 27, said their nightmare began when she and her brother felt scratchy throats earlier this month.
The grandchildren, ages seven, five, two and one, began to show signs of illness soon after but the family did not immediately seek medical attention.
“We sprung into action and tried to medicate,” Ms Bailey said. “We didn’t have the money to get everyone tested.
“My sister was the first to go to the hospital, but she came out. And then my brother went but he never got released from the hospital, and then my mom died Saturday, followed by my brother (on Sunday), and that was on my dad’s birthday. My brother had gotten airlifted to the States on Friday night and was in stable condition over there before he deteriorated.”
In total, at least six members of the Bailey family have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks: Ms Bailey, her mother, her brother, her sister-in-law, her sister and her brother-in-law.
Ms Bailey said her 73-year-old father hasn’t been tested, but has symptoms of the disease.
Mrs Bailey had diabetes; her son had no known comorbidities, according to Ms Bailey, a science teacher at Government High School. See complete story in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/aug/24/mother-and-son-die-within-24-hours-no-ifs-ands-but/
