Alexa Aragonez has a message for North Texas families planning to get together for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday 鈥� 鈥淧lease, don鈥檛 be like my family and ignore the CDC guidelines,鈥� she said in a shared by the . 鈥淏y staying apart, we can fight this virus together.鈥�
The 26-year-old knows first-hand how dangerous a family gathering can be during a pandemic, because earlier this month she said 15 of her family members contracted the coronavirus after a small indoor birthday celebration where no one wore masks. She said all 12 family members who attended the celebration contracted the virus, as well as three others who weren't at the event.
鈥淥ne moment, you鈥檙e okay and you鈥檙e breaking bread and having fajitas,鈥� she told 四虎影院. 鈥淎nd the next moment, the matriarch of your family is feeling sick and ill, and it鈥檚 been heartbreaking.鈥�
Enriqueta Aragonez, Alexa鈥檚 mother, is the person suffering the most from this breakout.
鈥淚 went to my nephew鈥檚 house and loved seeing my family, but now, I鈥檓 fighting against COVID-19,鈥� Aragonez said in a video message. 鈥淧lease protect yourself. It鈥檚 real.鈥�
Enriqueta was the only family member who required hospitalization. She battled a 103-degree fever for days. Eventually, Enriqueta was diagnosed with pneumonia spurred by a COVID-19 infection. She was in the hospital for almost a week.
鈥淪eeing someone as strong and loving and as joyous as my mother go through that was a shock and it was excruciating,鈥� Alexa . 鈥� In front of her face we were really strong, behind closed doors we cried every day until she came home.鈥�
Enriqueta is out of the hospital now, but Alexa said, her mother鈥檚 not quite back to normal.
鈥淟uckily, she doesn鈥檛 need to have oxygen anymore,鈥� Aragonez told 四虎影院. 鈥淏ut she is on heart medication and needs to take things very slow. This morning, when we were on FaceTime, she said she still had a lot of pain in her chest and is still really exhausted from everything.鈥�
The rest of the Aragonez family is also getting a lot better, Alexa said.
鈥淢ost everyone who was infected still has that exhausted feeling and pain in their chest,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut, you know, they鈥檙e not 鈥榦kay.鈥� But they鈥檙e doing decent.鈥�
Alexa Aragonez, fortunately, was not at the party and did not get sick. Still, she鈥檚 learned a lot from this experience.
鈥淚 think we need to pay attention to those around us and how much we care about each person in our lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause we need to start making creative plans for this upcoming holiday. It鈥檚 not all about you and how much you want to see your family. Everyone鈥檚 exhausted. But this pandemic is not over. It will be one day. But it鈥檚 not over yet.鈥�
The Aragonez family plans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually this year. They recommend you do the same.
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