COVID-19 took his wife and left him hospitalized, now he’s urging others to get vaccinated

By Kate Raddatz

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ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (WCCO) — Jeremy Voss spent more than two weeks at St. Cloud Hospital fighting for his life against COVID-19.

Before that, he didn’t think he needed the vaccine. Jeremy, from Olgilvie, has no underlying health conditions.

“I just thought if I got it as healthy as I was I’d be like my friends I know,” he said.

Jeremy’s wife, Monica, ended up in the hospital with COVID-19, too. She was also not vaccinated.

When he last saw her, she was on a ventilator.

“That was the hardest thing to do,” Voss said. “We’ve known each other since we were fifteen.”

Jeremy was discharged from the hospital. Monica did not come home.

The mother of four died Friday. She was 40 years old.

“Think if you had to tell your kids that you’re not going to see their mom or dad for the rest of their life,” Jeremy said.

He spent Thanksgiving weekend planning his wife’s funeral.

Dr. Jessie Roske, who treated Jeremy, says three-quarters of the COVID-19 patients that come in to the hospital are unvaccinated.

“I see this devastation to my neighbors and know it’s all preventable suffering,” Roske said.

Jeremy is still on oxygen and has a long road to recovery. He hopes sharing his story will encourage others to get the vaccine and save the life of another.