The whole state had rejoiced when 93-year-old Thomas Abraham and 88-year-old Mariyamma, a couple from Pathanamthitta, walked out of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital after recovering from COVID-19 back in March. The couple’s recovery had made headlines as they were among the first COVID-19 patients in the state who were above 70 years of age. Despite having several comorbidities, the aged couple had braved the pandemic, giving a confidence boost to the state’s health sector.
But now, about nine months after their much-celebrated recovery, one of them, 93-year-old Thomas Abraham has bid goodbye to the world. Thomas passed away on Thursday morning due to age-related illness.
It was on March 8 that Ranni natives Thomas and Mariyamma tested positive for the disease, after they contracted the novel coronavirus from their son and his family who had come from Italy. The family had also made the news after six others in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts contracted COVID-19 from them, making it the first cluster in the state from local transmission.
Among all, Thomas was the one who had to give a tough battle to beat COVID-19. He had even suffered from a major heart attack while under treatment and had been in a critical condition. Both he and his wife also suffered from diabetes and hypertension in addition to their age-related illness.
But both of them were treated with utmost care, Health Minister KK Shailaja had said following their recovery. The Minister had also written on Facebook about how the couple were disappointed while they were admitted in different rooms in the intensive care unit. Seeing this, the officials had shifted them to transplant ICU, where they could see each other, the Minister had written.
“At times they were adamant and had even refused food, demanding to go home. But the nurses were patient enough to convince the aged couple. The nurses gave them a lot of love,” Shailaja had written on Facebook.
However, Thomas, who had become a symbol of hope with his active recovery, has now no more. According to reports, his funeral will be held at St Kuriakose Church at Aythala near Ranni in Pathanamthitta on Friday morning at 10 am.
Watch video: When Thomas and Mariyamma was discharged from hospital