Wife of coronavirus victim finds heartbreaking goodbye note
A Connecticut woman who lost her 32-year-old husband to coronavirus complications said she later found a heart-wrenching goodbye note that he had left for his family. Jonathan Coelho died on Wednesday, after a 28-day battle in the hospital and 20 days on a ventilator, his wife Katie said on Facebook.
Coelho, who worked at a courthouse in Danbury, tested positive for Covid-19 on March 26 and was hospitalized with severe breathing issues, according to the family’s GoFundMe page. In an emotional post, Katie Coelho said her husband had been improving recently but “suddenly” went into cardiac arrest and died on April 22.
She said when his phone was returned to her, she discovered a goodbye note he had written the day before he was intubated.
“I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for. I am so lucky it makes me so proud to be your husband and the father to Braedyn and penny,” he wrote, referring to his son and daughter.
Katie Coelho wrote in her husband’s obituary that their son Braedyn was born with cerebral palsy and other medical problems. The Facebook page that was dedicated to chronicling Braedyn’s medical journey recently turned into a resource for updating his father’s COVID-19 fight.
A video posted to the Facebook page shows a touching moment between Braedyn and his bed-ridden father. In his farewell note, Coelho had a message for both his children.
“Let Braedyn now he’s my best bud and I’m proud to be his father and for all the amazing things he’s done and continues to do,” he wrote. “Let Penelope know she’s a princess and can have whatever she wants in life…. I’m so lucky.”
The note also included an emotional goodbye to his wife: “Katie you are the most beautiful caring nurturing person I’ve ever met…..you are truly one of a kind…..make sure you live life with happiness and that same passion that made me fall in love with you. Seeing you be the best mom to the kids is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Katie Cuelho told CBS News correspondent David Begnaud her husband was a devoted husband and father.
“I didn’t realize how much I felt loved by him until having to wake up now every day realizing I won’t ever experience that,” she said.
According to CBS affiliate WFSB, as of Saturday afternoon, the total number of coronavirus cases in Connecticut rose to 24,582. The number of deaths associated with COVID-19 complications stood at 1,862.
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