Sometimes bad things happen to good people. COVID-19 does not care if you have family members counting on you or if you are loved by your community. Warning: this is a sad story.

Harriet and Virgil Whiteshirt lived in El Reno, Oklahoma, along with five of their grandchildren who they cared for. They had been happily married for 45 years.

Then, the Whiteshirts started having symptoms of COVID-19. On August 21, 2020, husband and wife were both admitted to a hospital in Oklahoma City, and they were both tested for COVID-19. It turned out that they were both in fact infected with the novel coronavirus.

At first, the couple stayed positive even when they were in the hospital. According to their niece, they would communicate with each other by sending text messages with each other. They thought they would beat this virus and return home to their family. They would text motivational things to each other, and they would constantly text “I love you.”

Eventually, the text messages stopped. The couple ended up on ventilators fighting for their lives. Virgil was the first to pass away. His wife breathed her last breath just a few days later.

Watch the video below to hear the Whiteshirts’ niece describe their battle with COVID-19.

This sad story is another great reminder that COVID-19 is serious and needs to be taken seriously. Although we may be tired of the shutdowns and job losses this virus has caused, it is important to stay safe and make smart decisions to protect ourselves and those we love.

Do you know anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19?