A Hispanic family lived their worst nightmare during the pandemic after one of their twins died due to birth complications, as the other twin battled COVID-19.
"Lost, I can't do anything, function well, my son is not here," said Cinthia Sandoval, the mother of the twins.
Alejandro Jr. spent all his life fighting and on Jan. 4 he wasn't able to anymore.
Alejandro Jr. developed brain complications during his premature birth seven years ago that left him in a vegetative state.
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"We knew something was going to happen," the mother said.
What the parents did not know, is that while they spent day and night taking care of their son, just steps away from their room, COVID-19 took Alejandro Jr.'s twin, Alexis, as a victim.
"It was definitive that they could die from it, even my daughter because they were both born premature," the mother added. "They had breathing problems."
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And there were days of struggle since both parents had to take turns to know who was taking care of whom.
"It was difficult. I would stay locked in the room with Alexis and if he [my husband] was not there or the boy needs me, I need to enter," the mother added.
While their twins' lives hung by a thread, parents feared not only losing one child but both.
"It went through my mind and I always thought, 'What can I do differently to protect them?'" she said.
Alejandro Jr. did not contact COVID-19, but that didn't stop the little guy from closing his eyes forever.
The Murillo family is planning the burial of Alejandro Jr. for this weekend, meanwhile, the mother said that she will donate all the belongings and medical devices to a family that is going through the same, and in this way relieve a little of her pain and honor the memory of her baby.
Alexis did make a full recovery from COVID-19 with no complications.
This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.
