[ad_1]
The last wish of an unvaccinated Florida father prompted his family to turn his funeral into a Covid vaccination and testing event.
Marquis Davis, 28, owner of a married Cocoa business, fell ill in late July and within days of being hospitalized it became clear the virus was going to win. He had been hesitant to get the vaccine but told his vaccinated wife, Charnese, from her sickbed that he had changed his mind and wanted to receive it if he recovered.
“He was in the hospital. He said, ‘Bae, I’m going to get the shot when I get out of here,’ ”his wife told local ABC affiliate WFTV. So he was going to have it. I was like, ‘Well, I’m so glad you said that, but it’s too late.’ “
In honor of Mr Davis, his family decided to offer Covid tests and vaccinations to coincide with his wake and funeral. The vigil was on Friday and the funeral has been set for Saturday, said Dr R Shaun Ferguson, pastor of Faith Temple Christian Center. The independent that around 15 people had been vaccinated and 30 tested on Saturday afternoon, but the process was ongoing.
“People were actually leaving the funeral and walking across the street and getting vaccinated,” Dr Ferguson said. The independent. His church has been active in promoting appropriate information about the vaccine and encouraging community members to register, but this was the first time that efforts were organized “in conjunction with a funeral home or a vigil, ”he said.
Florida is quickly becoming a Covid epicenter in the United States, recording its highest daily count this week since the start of the pandemic. The state reported 22,783 new cases on Thursday, 1,100 more than the previous record high number of cases in Florida last Saturday, according to the CDC.
The state helped support the vaccination and testing event in honor of Mr Davis, said Dr Ferguson The independent. He added that the unusual arrangements for the funeral and revival were going “extremely well” and that he felt the community members were really taking note after the young father’s death and the publicity that followed.
“What we are seeing is that more and more young people are dying,” he said. “Before, if you remember, it was just the older population – so I think that just opens the eyes of the young.”
[ad_2]
Source link