SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family said their loved one who was vaccinated died from the coronavirus. Criselda Martinez, 69, was a loving mother who always gave back to the community she loved.
Her daughter's Bianca and Cecily Martinez are shocked by the unexpected death.
"I am still waiting to wake up from this nightmare," Bianca said. Is this real," Cecily said. "Did this really happen?"
At the end of July, their 69-year-old mother started feeling sick and tested positive for the coronavirus.
"This is what I was so scared would happen to my mother," Cecily said.
They were shocked after hearing the news. Their mother was one of the first to get her COVID vaccine in January and was extremely careful. They said Criselda wasn't really sick. She had mild symptoms, like a sore throat maybe fever. One day after being just fine in the morning, something went wrong hours later.
"She tells me, 'I can't breathe,'" Bianca said.
Bianca who lived with her mom called EMS to take her to the hospital.
"By the time it took me to walk out of the room to call for 911, I come back in, and my mom was out," she said. I panicked."
She said her boyfriend started doing chest compressions, but it was too late.
"She was like, 'I can't breathe,'" Bianca said. "And you know what, those were my mom's last words to me."
The paramedics tried to revive their mom, but couldn't. She died in her home.
"I just didn't know how ugly COVID can be," she said. "How quickly things can change."
They said their mother was extremely caring who loved to help others. For several years, Criselda gave back to the community she grew up in. She worked several Bexar County elections at her local community center.
"Just thinking about her, she was the person anybody could call for a pick-me up," Cecily said.
Criselda was diabetic and had underlying health conditions. Despite her death, the two sisters are still encouraging others to get the vaccine.
"Everyone was vaccinated," they said. "My mom was the only one that got sick. So, do they work? Absolutely. "
According to Metro Health, so far six people in Bexar County, who were vaccinated, have died from COVID-19. They said the primary reason is they all had underlying health conditions.
The family is raising funds for funeral expenses, for more click here.