He stayed home from work the next two days: he couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep and was “hot to the touch.” But DuPreez said there was little concern because they chalked up these symptoms to Freedy’s sunburn, as they thought he had come down with a case of sun poisoning.

DuPreez said Freedy went to the ER three days following their return from San Diego as his symptoms persisted.

She said not much was made of Freedy’s condition at the time; the doctor who saw him just told him to drink some Gatorade.

However, DuPreez said Freedy continued feeling unwell and called in sick the next two days.

DuPreez said Freedy’s young age – he had just turned 39 a couple days before his COVID-19 diagnosis – and relatively good health offered her some reassurance at the time, which she tried to channel into encouragement.

DuPreez took Freedy to the ER for his third visit in 96 hours.

“[I didn’t] realize when I was dropping him off at the ER because he couldn’t breathe that that was gonna be the last time I held his hand while he was awake,” DuPreez said.

Although DuPreez wasn’t able to see Freedy after this point, other than bringing him clothes and other items to the hospital, she said she still felt hopeful, even as an anxiety began to settle in.

DuPreez said Freedy was transferred to another hospital and then an intermediate care unit to better meet his care needs.

After five days in the intermediate care unit and a week after his COVID-19 diagnosis, DuPreez said Freedy was taken to the ICU.

DuPreez said she was told by a nurse that night “to contact next of kin and to take all of his belongings home.”  .

After 30 minutes of compressions, DuPreez said one of the doctors came over to her and told her they had to stop – “we’ve done everything that we can.”

DuPreez said she and her oldest child were vaccinated the same day Freedy tested positive for COVID-19.