‘Hearts are shattered.’ Mom dies of COVID a month after son’s birth, Texas family says
When Alexandra Chandler went in to the hospital to give birth to her first child, her family says she tested positive for COVID-19.
She then delivered her son Beau via a successful cesarean section on Jan. 9 and was able to go home a few days later, a GoFundMe says, but by Jan. 15 the Texas mom was unable to breathe on her own.
After a month-long fight in the hospital, Chandler died on Sunday, Feb. 13, her mother shared on Facebook.
“It is finished. She has passed,” Jenny Clay wrote. “Our hearts are shattered. The best girl in the world. FU COVID.”
“After years of fertility struggles and finally giving birth, COVID-19 has robbed Alex of the joy of being a first time Mom,” the GoFundMe says, adding that she was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Chandler was also a teacher with Killeen Independent School District, the Killeen Daily Herald reported.
“The students, faculty, and families of Montague Village Elementary are mourning the loss of Mrs. Alexandra Chandler, a beloved fifth-grade teacher,” a district spokesperson said in a statement to the newspaper. “Mrs. Chandler passed away on Sunday and will be greatly missed.”
“She was a dedicated teacher, friend, and mentor to her peers and students,” the district continued. “We send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to her family during this difficult time.”
The district did not immediately respond to a request for statement from McClatchy News, though the district told the Daily Herald it will be offering counseling support to students and staff.
Father James Chandler told KWTX their newborn son, Beau, is doing OK.
“Oh Beau, he’s so amazing,” his grandmother shared to Facebook. “She sure did a stupendous job creating a wonderful human.”
Pregnancy and COVID-19
“People who are pregnant or recently pregnant are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared to people who are not pregnant,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is especially true for people with other underlying medical conditions and risk factors for at least 42 days after pregnancy.
Severe illness includes the need for hospitalization, intensive care and ventilation, and the CDC says those who become severely ill may die from the disease.
Experts recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
“Evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, although limited, has been growing,” the CDC says. “It suggests that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy.”
Two COVID-19 vaccines — Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty and Moderna Spikevax — are fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine is authorized for emergency use.
Killeen is about 75 miles northeast of Austin.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 10:51 AM with the headline "‘Hearts are shattered.’ Mom dies of COVID a month after son’s birth, Texas family says."