A little girl in Selangor has taken to YouTube to share her personal experience of losing a loved one to COVID-19
Nine-year-old Mavis, who shares the YouTube channel ‘M&M Channel‘ with her little sister Megan, shared the story of how their grandfather passed away due to COVID-19 after a close friend of his did not disclose his virus positive status to anyone.
In the video titled ‘Our Coronavirus Experience – A True Story’, Mavis shares heartbreaking details about how her gong gong came to be infected
Before she started, she gave a quick disclaimer that the video will not be like other videos on the channel, which usually feature her and her sister dancing and simply having fun.
Instead, she began with how her grandfather’s close friend had invited him out on New Year’s Eve to drink tea.
“However, that close friend didn’t tell my grandfather that he went for a COVID-19 test a few days before they met. He didn’t tell him anything at all about the screening,” she said.
She expressed disappointment that the close friend did not take the matter seriously, and called him irresponsible after he tested positive the next day on 1 January and did not tell anyone, not even her grandfather, about it.
Image via M&M Channel (YouTube)
On 4 January, Mavis said her grandfather then began to fall ill
He visited a clinic twice to check his condition. However, even with symptoms of flu, back pain, and chills, the girl said the doctor never referred her grandfather for a COVID-19 test.
“I still don’t understand how irresponsible my grandfather’s friend and that doctor can be,” she expressed.
On 11 January, Mavis said her mother finally brought her grandfather to a private hospital’s emergency department to be tested for COVID-19.
At the hospital, the doctors found that her grandfather had pneumonia and admitted him immediately.
The next day, his condition quickly deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) to be placed on a ventilator to assist his breathing.
“The whole time, we were still waiting for the COVID-19 test results, so we weren’t allowed to accompany him or see him,” Mavis recounted, while struggling to hold back tears.
Mavis said he was finally confirmed positive for COVID-19 on the same day he entered the ICU and battled the disease for 18 days before passing away
She said her grandfather also had to be transferred to Sungai Buloh Hospital during the stay because he tested positive.
“He was admitted to [the private hospital] for four days, and we spent RM50,000 for his hospitalisation while waiting for a bed at Sungai Buloh Hospital,” she shared.
Unfortunately, despite everything, Mavis said her family was called up in the middle of the night on 29 January to be told her 78-year-old grandfather had passed away.
“We didn’t get a chance to see him again. And we tried to video call but there wasn’t any signal there,” she cried.
The nine-year-old said that the intention of the video is to advise viewers to be more socially responsible during the pandemic
Mavis further revealed that her whole family went to get screened after her grandfather tested positive, and they found five other family members with the virus.
“My grandmother, my little sister, my cousin, and two aunties also tested positive for COVID-19 in January,” she said, adding that they have remained home since.
She emphasised the importance of staying at home and avoiding physical contact with people if they feel unwell or test COVID-19 positive.
“My grandfather was a good man. He was the best person in the world,” she said.
“He always cooked my favourite dishes and brought me out to eat good food. He would also always help to blow-dry my hair after I shower.”
She finally asked viewers to share the video so more people could see and understand how unbearable it was to lose a loved one to COVID-19.
The video has garnered over 90,000 views as of writing, with netizens supporting her message and sending their condolences
“Thank you for sharing, you are very brave. Remember to stay strong and know that your grandfather also feels your love and pain,” commented a YouTube user.
“Your experience will help remind everyone to be a bit more careful and to be more considerate of their actions. I will keep both you and your grandfather in prayer.”
Another netizen said, “Little sister, keep up the good work! You have to stay stong and remember that taking care of yourself is important as well.”
While another said, “Girl, stay strong and stay safe. Thank you for making this touching video. Rest in peace, Gong Gong.”
