ST PAUL, Minn. — One of the people leading Minnesota's battle against the coronavirus can now personally testify to its heartbreaking impact.
Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan posted on her Instagram account that her brother Ron has passed away in Tennessee after contracting COVID-19, just two months after they lost their father.
Flanagan writes that Ron, a "tough-as-nails Marine," was recently diagnosed with cancer which left his immune system compromised. He somehow contracted coronavirus, was hospitalized, placed on a ventilator and eventually, into a medically-induced coma. Sadly, Ron could not overcome the virus and he passed away on Saturday.
"To many, he’ll be a statistic: Tennessee’s second COVID-related death," Flanagan wrote. "But to me, I’ll remember a loving, older brother, uncle, father, and husband."
"Ron was a tough-as-nails Marine who was a big teddy bear on the inside. He never left my dad’s side during his final weeks and took care of everyone else in the way only he could."
Lt. Governor Flanagan says her brother's saga stands as an example of why staying home is essential to defeating the coronavirus.
"If you feel fine, that’s great. But please consider the possibility that you’re carrying the virus and don’t know it, and then you walk past the next Ron, my big brother, in public. COVID-19 now has a personal connection to me. Please do all you can to prevent one for you. #StayHomeMN."
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world here. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11.
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