‘She was a good mother, a perfect mother’: Family sees pain of pandemic

Published: Aug. 5, 2020 at 11:19 PM EDT
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - She was fighting the infection while pregnant and had to deliver her baby early after complications. Unfortunately, she did not survive and didn't make it through the birth of her baby girl.

Now the family wants to put a face to the cases we hear about so often.

The numbers go further than 200,000, but it only took the one, and COVID-19′s impact was no longer far from Jeff Walters.

“I never thought that she was not going to make it, you know. I never thought that we would get to this point. I never thought I would lose my wife,” he said.

His wife, Jessica Walters, died at Augusta University Health on July 25. Only a few days before, both her and Jeff tested positive for the virus.

“This is not something I want anybody to have to experience,” Jeff said.

Not because of his own diagnosis, but because of the complications that came from hers. Jessica had underlying health issues -- sickle cell anemia. And she was pregnant, about 33 weeks along. The parents were expecting, but they never expected this.

After feeling sick, the mom checked into the hospital. Jeff says doctors called him, saying they needed to do an early delivery to help save the two. Just one made it.

“I received word that the baby came and probably about 15 minutes later. I was ... I was told my wife was no longer with us,” Jeff said.

Although he has COVID-19, too, it came with no signs of medical issues for him. But being asymptomatic, still somehow stirring symptoms -- of guilt and grief.

“I have two little girls that are dependent on me, and I have to raise them now, without their mother that’s the only way I know to move on,” Jeff said.

Sometimes the data is deafening. The case totals can be numbing. The now single dad says it only took a single number, just the one, to meet the pains of the pandemic.

“This is not something I want anybody to experience,” Jeff said. “She was wonderful. She was the best wife that anybody could ask for. She was a good mother, a perfect mother.”

If you would like to help the Walters family, you can donate here: Link to Jeff’s Family GoFundMe

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