Grieving family says mother infected with COVID-19 dies days after giving birth
By SHON GABLES
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ATLANTA, GA (WGCL) — 27-year-old Marrisha “ReRe” Kindred Jenkins was due to give birth in October. But the Dekalb County resident was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia, gave birth to a healthy baby and weeks later, died.
Her grieving mother says she never held her newborn son.
“We’re dealing with it day today,” said Helena Kindred. “I want to tell people please get vaccinated.”
Kindred remembers the moment her pregnant daughter told her she was not getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
“She gave me the reason but I can’t exactly remember what it was about,” added Kindred.
On Saturday, September 4, “ReRe” caught, what she thought was a cold. Three days later, she was in the hospital, unable t breathe from covid and pneumonia. She delivered her son 7 weeks early. Kindred mourns her daughter never held her newborn son.
“She never got to hold him because she had COVID-19, so they never brought him to see her.”
“ReRe” was released from the hospital to quarantine at home for two weeks. But the day she prepared to hold her newborn son for the first time — she never made it past the door. Kindred recalls how the nightmare unfolded.
“They heard a thump in the bathroom and they found her passed out.” ReRe’s husband called 9-1-1 and performed CPR. It was too late.
“She coded in the ambulance they brought her back,” said Kindred. “She coded again at the hospital. She went to doctor, but when she coded that time it caused severe brain damage.”
According to recent data from Atlanta’s based CDC, only 30 percent of pregnant women are vaccinated, despite the fact COVID-19 cases and deaths in that group are rising.
Kindred says her daughter’s nurse warned about the dangers of pregnant women delaying or not getting a COVID-19 shot.
“The nurse told me that if ReRe had been vaccinated,” recalled Kindred, “pregnant women that get covid survive. But they won’t survive if they have covid.”
ReRe lost her fight to COVID-19 on Thursday, September 23. She leaves behind three small children. Her newborn is COVID-19 free and healthy.
A Go-fund Me account has been set up to defray medical costs incurred and her funeral.
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