THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR) — A Thornton family is grieving and pleading with others to get vaccinated after a young teacher, husband and father diagnosed with COVID and viral pneumonia died over the weekend.
Bryan Dumas, a 48-year-old teacher, and his wife Jen got COVID. She said she is vaccinated and came through just fine. But he was not vaccinated and died on Saturday.
Dumas said her husband chose not to get the shot because he had AS, a form of arthritis, and was concerned.
“He was pretty scared and anxious about getting the vaccine,” she said.
Dumas now wishes that is something she could have changed.
“I am a believer that people have the right to do what they feel is best for their body, I really am, but of course if I could go back, I would make him get the vaccine,” she said.
As she makes plans for her husband’s memorial, Dumas hopes other people will honor his memory and get vaccinated.
“Yes, there’s a chance that you may not get sick at all, but there is also a very good chance that you could die from this,” she said.
Dumas is also a teacher, and the couple has a 16-year-old son named Ethan.
The family has set up this GoFundMe account to help through this trying time.