5 California Children, Including Newborn, Orphaned After Parents Die Of COVID-19 2 Weeks Apart

A California couple died from COVID-19 two weeks apart, leaving their five children, including a newborn, orphaned.

Daniel Macias, 39, passed away Friday, only two weeks after his wife, Davy Macias, 37, died battling the virus, reported Penn Live.

The couple reportedly contracted coronavirus when they went on a family trip at the end of July. Days later, their health deteriorated and they were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Davy died on Aug. 26 after giving birth to a baby girl while on a ventilator. The couple did not get to meet their newborn or name her.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking. We were really pulling for Daniel after Davy died. We wanted him to wake up and name his baby girl," Terri Serey, Daniel's sister-in-law, told KTLA.

Davy, who was a nurse in the labor and delivery ward, was hesitant to get vaccinated as she was pregnant. Daniel was reportedly unvaccinated against the virus as well.

The couple's four other children, aged 7, 5, 3 and 2, are under the care of their grandparents. They are still asking for "mommy" and daddy, Serey said as per KNBC.

"I don't know anyone who loved their kids as much as they did, and they made sure they told them every day," she added. "I want them to be aware of how much they're loved. And I want them to know how much their parents loved them."

Daniel taught eighth-grade math and served as a math coach at William Jehue Middle School. He was reportedly one of the reasons why the school won awards.

In a statement to KNBC, Syeda Jafri, a spokesperson working with Rialto Unified School District, said, "His legacy will live on in the students, the thousands of students that he taught quality instruction to. It is something we have to look at in the sense of life is very short and it's very unpredictable. This pandemic is not over and this is a virus that does not discriminate."

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up by the couple's relatives to raise funds for their children's future.

"My family and I are asking for any financial aid to help with feeding, clothing and any upcoming expenses for their 5 children ages 7, 5, 3, 2 and a new born. 100% of the donations will go to the Macias family," the page read.