Unvaccinated Tampa Bay Mom Dies Battling COVID-19 Without Meeting Her Newborn

A 33-year-old Florida woman, who delivered a baby three weeks ago, died after a month-long battle with COVID-19 before she got to meet her newborn.

Jessica Six from Pinellas County died Sunday from cardiac arrest and a collapsed lung, ABC Action News reported. She contracted the virus in August when she was eight months pregnant. Jessica was unvaccinated.

According to her sister Stephanie Six, Jessica stayed at home for a week before being moved to a hospital. "She had a sore throat and a cough. She had to miss her baby shower and everything and quarantine," said Stephanie.

Doctors delivered Jessica’s baby by emergency C-section about three weeks ago. "They kept her because her placenta ended up erupting. So they had to do an emergency C-section on her," Stephanie said.

Since then, Jessica’s condition got worse. She got pneumonia and was put on a ventilator. Though Jessica’s daughter, Kaydence, was delivered a month early, she is fine and does not have COVID-19, the report said.

"They tested the baby. She came back fine. She didn't have any COVID symptoms or test positive for COVID or anything. She was actually transported to All Children's Hospital," Stephanie said.

The baby spent a few days in the hospital but is now home with family. "It doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel real at all. One minute, you're here and then the next this happens, you know. It was so unexpected. She was my best friend," the deceased woman’s sister added.

Jessica's death comes as authorities urge more pregnant women to get vaccinated. According to Dr. Brooke Ritter with Women's Care Florida, pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 because a pregnant women's immune system is generally suppressed.

"When a pregnant woman has pneumonia, her lungs don't have the space to fight off the infection as well. They also don't have the space to provide the oxygen that she needs and the oxygen the baby needs," Dr. Ritter was quoted by ABC Action News.

Dr. Ritter said the vaccine is also safe for women who are breastfeeding.

"When you're pregnant and get the vaccine, it doesn't go to the baby, but the antibodies the mom makes do go to the baby so then when the baby is a newborn they have the protection. Also, the same with breastfeeding. If the mom gets the vaccine when she is breastfeeding, the vaccine doesn't pass through the breast milk, but the mom's antibodies do," she added.

Florida has so far reported 3,424,338 COVID-19 cases and 46,977 deaths, according to worldometer data.