COVID-19 patient whose induced coma prompted B.C. family's plea for vaccinations has died
A B.C. woman who was in an induced coma due to COVID-19, prompting an impassioned public plea from her family, has died.
Anna Joseph, a resident of Vancouver, was admitted to an intensive care unit after becoming ill earlier this month.
In a post on Twitter, her brother Tyrone said she died at Vancouver General Hospital, surrounded by family and medical professionals. Loved ones were also able to join her in her final moments through a video call.
"What a blessing," Tyrone posted.
It is not clear how she and her adult son, who was also in ICU briefly, contracted COVID-19, but her brother said neither had been vaccinated.
Anna's brother shared his family's story whiled she was in the coma, saying he hoped it would encourage others who've been hesitant to get the shots because of misinformation to reconsider.
Tyrone said it was a surprise to him that Anna and her son were unvaccinated at the time. He'd assumed his extended family shared the views of his immediate family, he told CTV News last week.
He blamed misinformation that has circulated online, especially on social media, for their hesitancy.
But he said there's more to it for some people. The Joseph family is Indigenous, and he said distrust in the government may be a factor for some.
Last year, a report found widespread racism against Indigenous people in B.C.'s health-care system. The damning report from an independent reviewer found a "pervasive mindset of misinformed and prejudiced beliefs about the inferiority of Indigenous peoples" in all health-care settings in B.C., among other issues.
While Tyrone understands that distrust, he wrote on Twitter Wednesday that COVID-19 has disrupted First Nation community norms, and "we must fully pursue efforts to vaccinate and prevent further loss. Our communities and next generations need to act now."
He said previously he hoped his sister's story will change some minds, and that other Indigenous families will look past any skepticism of the health-care system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.