Police officer, a dad of 5, dies of COVID after weeks in hospital, Texas family says
A 45-year-old police corporal and father of five children has died of COVID-19, his Texas department said.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our brother, Cpl. Mike Sanchez lost his battle with Covid early this morning,” the Amarillo Police Department shared Monday, Dec. 27.
He was married to Brandi Sanchez, officials say, and the couple had three children together. His two other children, both older, were from a former relationship.
His wife, Brandi, continued to update friends and family through public Facebook posts on his condition throughout his weeks-long hospitalization.
“Covid is no joke!” she shared in her first public post on Dec. 1. “I never acted like it was but now that we have gotten it and sitting here in the hospital with Mike I see how bad it can get. He’s got pneumonia on top of Covid. ... Am I scared? Yes! do I know everything will be okay? I pray it is but in my heart I know it will be.”
Cpl. Mike Sanchez was ventilated and sedated throughout his hospitalization, she said. It is not known whether he was vaccinated against the coronavirus.
On Dec. 25, Christmas day, his wife shared he was “critically stable” and receiving dialysis. He died two days later.
“I have been keeping y’all updated everyday,” she wrote. “Today is the day I don’t want to do it. But I have to let y’all know because y’all have prayed so hard and so much for us for him but this morning Mike went to meet our amazing Lord and Savior. Thank y’all so much for every single prayer.”
Police officials say he graduated from the Amarillo Police Academy in December 2005, 16 years go.
“He has served honorably in various positions with his latest assignment as an expert Traffic Crash Investigator,” his department said. “Please keep Mike and his family in your prayers during this very difficult time.”
More than 5.4 million people have died of COVID-19 worldwide as of Monday, Dec. 27, according to Johns Hopkins University. Over 280 million cases have been reported. In the U.S., more than 52 million cases have been reported with over 816,000 deaths during the same time frame.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other health experts, continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines amid the pandemic.
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective at helping protect against severe disease and death from the virus that causes COVID-19, including known variants currently circulating (e.g., Delta variant),” the CDC says. “The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, which are rare.”
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