Anti-vaxxer who refused Covid jab because it’s not vegan says ‘I wish I had it’ to his wife before dying from the bug
AN anti-vaxxer who refused to get the Covid jab because it’s not vegan has died from the virus after a two-week battle in intensive care.
Glynn Steel, 54, told his wife that he “wish he’d had the vaccine” before he died at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on November 16.
Glynn was just two months from his 55th birthday when he planned to retire and spend more time travelling and looking after animals.
According to his wife, Glynn’s last words were: “I have never felt so ill, I wish I’d had the vaccine.”
Emma, 50, who is double-jabbed, says she is now facing “an empty future alone” and has called on everyone to take the vaccine.
“I insist to everyone I know to get the vaccine,” she said.
“The last thing Glynn said to me was ‘I have never felt so ill, I wish that I had had the vaccine’. It was heart-wrenching.
“He begged for the vaccine when he was in intensive care before he went on life support but they said that it was too late.
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“I’ve been crying myself into a dehydration every night and letting the tears flow like a river in the morning and waking up in the night crying.
“It’s having to tell people that loved him that they will never see him again, and seeing that pain in them. I’m used to trying to make people laugh, not cry.
“He was a very gentle soul, he was a vegan and didn’t want the Covid vaccine because it was tested on animals.”
Glynn, a field service engineer, cared for a total of six rescued cats and dogs at his home in Malvern, Worcs., and even brought a dog in need back from a holiday in Sri Lanka.
He was hesitant to receive the vaccine after reading that pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson had tested theirs on animals.
Glynn had started off with just a cold which gradually got worse and he tested positive for Covid on October 27.
He deteriorated rapidly because of his age and lack of vaccine and Emma had to call an ambulance on November 2.
But she was told none were available and she, therefore, had to take her unconscious 19-stone husband to hospital herself.
There were 12 ambulances queuing outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital when she arrived with him, she said.
‘WITH HIM UNTIL THE END’
Emma added: “I still don’t know how I got him in my car. He was so heavy that I couldn’t even push him in a wheelchair at the hospital.
“Eventually a young lad appeared and offered to help, he was there because his mum was also unwell and couldn’t get an ambulance either, so he had to bring her to the hospital like I did.”
Glynn was quickly admitted to intensive care but by the 10th he was put on life support and in an induced coma.
Emma said: “I was with him when he died. I was wearing a full PPE kit so I couldn’t touch him, but they played his favourite music by the Sex Pistols and I stayed with him until the end.”
Glynn died within 20 minutes of life his life support being turned off.
Despite two weeks passing, Emma says she still cannot imagine life without him.
“I will forever miss our friendship, our partnership, our love, and our connection to each other,” she said.
“I sometimes think need to text the word TALK to the suicide hotline when my thoughts get really loud and scary and take over”.
Glynn’s niece Charlotte Steel has launched a Gofundme page with the aim of raising money for the funeral.
Today, a third case of the super strain Omicron was identified in the UK.
Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA chief executive, has since warned it is “very likely” further infections will be recorded next week.
Dr Harries also urged anybody who has not yet been vaccinated to come forward.
“Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant – please get your first, second or booster jab without delay,” she said.
“Wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, to ensure we all help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant.”
