A Michigan woman lost her family to coronavirus. Sandy Brown’s beloved husband, 59-year-old Freddie Brown Jr., and her 20-year-old son, Freddie Brown III, died within three days of each other.
Sporting a bedazzled face mask and gloves, Brown held a private funeral ceremony for father and son last Friday (April 10). The ceremony was streamed on Facebook Live and in the age of social distancing, mourners were required to stay in their cars while paying respects. Brown plans to hold a larger ceremony after the pandemic ends.
“My two men are gone. I am standing here in the strength of the Lord, not no strength of my own,” the grieving wife and mother told CBS Affiliate WWMT-TV.
After a trying three weeks, Sandy Brown laid her husband and son to rest after losing them to #COVIDー19.
As the “Queen of Bling” she wore a bedazzled mask and gloves to the private visitation.
Dozens showed up to sit in the parking lot and show support. @midmichigannow pic.twitter.com/8eJGoFSJrF
— Bria Jones (@BriaJonesTV) April 11, 2020
Freddie III, Brown’s only child, was a student at Mott Community College and planned to attend Michigan State University this fall. A Michigan State jersey was draped over his casket.
Although its unclear how the men caught the virus, Brown’s family belonged to a church community that lost three people to COVID-19 between the end of March and the first week of April. One of the deceased was a church elder who attended the same church as Brown.
Around three weeks ago, the elder Freddie, who was a kidney transplant recipient, fell ill and was turned away from the hospital because he didn’t meet CDC testing criteria. His wife described him as having severe body chills, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. She took him back to the emergency room at Ascension Genesys, unaware that it would be her last time seeing him alive.
Freddie Jr’s condition worsened rapidly. He was placed on a ventilator and later died. Brown’s son became ill the night that his father passed away. Brown, whose niece also contracted COVID-19 but recovered, rushed her son to the hospital. His condition worsened within 24 hours.
“There’s not even a word created to describe my pain. It’s unimaginable,” said Brown. “In three days, I lost my husband and son to an ugly plague. I watched my son go from completely well and whole and happy to being gone in three days.”