Once vaccine-hesitant widow urges everyone to get the shot
Rika Johnson is the mother of two adolescent boys that she will have to raise without their father, after her husband lost a months-long battle with COVID-19.
“It was quite sudden because he was doing well, he got transferred out of the ICU after being in there for 3 months,” Johnson said about her husband Jeremy.
The entire family tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-April, and within a few days Jeremy’s cough and chest pain were so severe that he wound up in Burnaby General Hospital. He was later transferred to Royal Columbian, where he died in August.
“I think that we’re very fortunate that we all got to say our goodbyes,” said Johnson. “Because through this whole pandemic there’s been families that didn’t get that chance.”
At the time the family got sick, none of them were eligible for a dose of the vaccine, but Johnson said Jeremy was eager to get it – acknowledging that she was somewhat hesitant at first.
“Just because of my body and reaction. Not because I’m anti-vax,” she said. “I’m 100 per cent for vaccinations, but I just wanted to make sure that I had the time to be able to heal from getting the vaccine if I had a reaction.”
After watching her husband’s long, painful battle with the virus, she is now encouraging everyone to get their shots.
“You don’t know how COVID is going to affect you if you get it,” she said. “If there’s some way you can protect yourself, then you should do it.”
On Saturday, a few thousand people opposed to the vaccines and B.C.’s proof-of-vaccination requirements rallied at the Vancouver Art Gallery for a protest before marching through downtown streets.
The gathering happened just blocks from St. Paul’s Hospital, where emergency room physician Dr. Jeff Yoo says almost all of the people currently being treated for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated.
“Now in this fourth wave, we are really seeing younger patients who were previously healthy, who are getting critically ill and require(ing) intubation,” he said.
Stats from the province back up his anecdotal observations.
In a tweet Friday, Health Minister Adrian Dix shared the number of people in intensive care with COVID-19 by vaccination status.
Of the 136 patients, eight were partially vaccinated, seven fully vaccinated, and 121 unvaccinated.
The difference becomes even more stark when accounting for the fact nearly 88 percent of British Columbians have had at least one dose of a vaccine.
“This is really a self-inflicted injury from society. We don’t need to be struggling through this fourth wave, you know?,” said Dr. Yoo. “A lot of these young, healthy patients could have prevented getting ill if they had just gotten vaccinated.”
As she prepares for her late husband’s celebration of life, Johnson is taking this opportunity to reach out to others who may be uncertain about getting the shot in the hopes that her story will convince them to do it.
"You don't want to leave your family members without their loved ones, or children without their fathers, or children without their mothers,” she said, her voice trailing off as she was overcome with emotion.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'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.
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.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.