JACKSON, Mich. — It's understandable that you might not want to be anywhere near a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, but some medical conditions are too serious to try to handle at home.
A Jackson widow found this out a few days ago after losing her husband because he refused to go to the hospital.
Cheryl Woodwaller said her husband began experiencing chest pains three days before agreeing to go to the hospital, but by then it was too late.
"They said it was no saving him, he had waited too long and he was too far gone. He was only in the hospital 13 hours before he passed," said Woodwaller.
Her late husband had a history of underlying issues due to a heart condition. She tried taking him to the hospital, but he was afraid to go for fear of catching coronavirus.
"He just refused to go the doctor and I begged him and begged him and he just got sicker and sicker," she said.
Sparrow Health System's head of emergency medicine says it's always safer to be at the hospital if you're having serious medical problems.
"We have systems that we put in place now where we try to keep our coronavirus patients in certain areas and our non-coronavirus patients in others, but please come to the emergency department and we will take good care of you and we will protect you from the coronavirus," said Dr. Dale Jackson, Sparrow emergency doctor.
Woodwaller said her husband could still be alive now if he'd listened to the doctor's advice.
"The fear of catching this virus killed him. He was dying here, at least there he had a chance," Woodwaller said.
She wants her husband's death to be a reminder that even during this pandemic, we still need to see a doctor when we're sick.
"Don't let the fear of this virus kill you. Be loving enough to go get well, don't die," she said.
Woodwaller said while it may be a scary thought to go to the hospital right now, it's better to go and get better.
Doctor Jackson said patients need to come to the ER if they feel like they're having a stroke, heart problems or have pre-existing or underlying health problems.
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