TOPEKA, Kan. – Shane and Jennifer Windmeyer lost their mom just days before Christmas after she spent about a month in the hospital battling COVID-19.
68-year-old Diann Windmeyer tested positive for COVID-19 in early November.
What began as mild symptoms, quickly turned much more.
Her son, Shane says, “She really didn’t have any fever or shortness of breath, she just had a really bad cough and the COVID-19 had induced Pneumonia in her body and attacked her lungs”.
Windmeyer was in the hospital on a ventilator for about four days. Then shortly after, she was showing improvements and she was soon taken off the ventilator.
Then just three days before Christmas, Windmeyer passed due to organ failure.
Now what was once their favorite holiday to be celebrated together, has turned into a day of grief.
“I think it was really hard for us since our mom loved Christmas so much and it was her favorite holiday, she always wanted us to come home for the holidays and we were all planning to come home this year and be together for the holidays- so coming home this year was a little bit different,” said Jennifer Windmeyer.
Their mother and the rest of the family took safety precautions throughout the pandemic. But they are now stressing the importance of wearing a mask and following social distancing rules.
Shane and Jennifer were both able to see their mother and be by her side.
