The Pietà

Michelangelo’s sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding Christ is titled The Pietà which translates  to The Pity.

Kristen McMullen, a 30 year old Brevard County, Florida mom, died from COVID-19 just days after undergoing an emergency C-section and was able to hold  her baby for only “a few short minutes” before she died from COVID-19 ten days later.

She was able to see her newborn a few more times through FaceTime before her condition became worse and she was put on a ventilator. She was then rushed to the ICU and was put on a ventilator shortly after, her family said.

McMullen, who died on August 6, 2021 reportedly began to develop symptoms of the virus roughly three weeks before she was due to give birth.

On July 21, 2021 she was taken to hospital with COVID pneumonia, and was then sent home after four days and given antibiotics. Less than 48 hours later, however, McMullen was taken back to hospital with breathing difficulties, and doctors prepared to perform an emergency C-section to deliver her baby weeks before her due date.

When asked if Kristen had been vaccinated, Melissa Syverson said: “We personally feel that whether a pregnant woman is or isn’t [vaccinated] or whether they wear a mask or don’t wear a mask, we feel like they’re at a huge risk potentially for it to be deadly for them or their baby.”

Some doctors are also warning of an uptick of severe cases among pregnant women, a group with a low vaccination rate that has also been found to be subject to a high risk for complications related to the virus. Amid the delta variant’s spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has moved to encourage expectant mothers to get vaccinated, as research shows they are more likely to require admission to intensive care and use of ventilators than non-pregnant women.