COLOMBIA, SC (WIS) – As many in the state struggle to make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, a South Carolina woman was determined to make this happen in honor of her late husband, who died of the virus.
The Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) took Columbia resident Jo Mooney a few days to discover and complete her registration for her first injection.
Mooney, 81, said she lost her husband to COVID-19 in November.
“We had been married for 58 years and we were … they called us twins. When we went into doctors’ offices or somewhere, they said, ‘oh, here come the twins’, because we were always together, ”she said.
Mooney said her late husband, Terry, contracted the virus while in rehab after suffering a stroke.
“And within a week, he was gone. It happened so fast. So difficult, ”she recalled.
For Jo Mooney, one of the most difficult parts of losing your other half was being separated from him in his final moments.
She said the last time she saw him in person, he was being taken in an ambulance.
Just before her husband died, a nurse at Lexington Medical Center let Terry use his iPad to say goodbye to Jo.
“We just blew kisses and it was over. It was horrible. My heart was broken. I kept saying, ‘we need to talk about this, we need to be able to say something, we need to talk again’, ”she said while crying.
When he qualified for the COVID-19 vaccine, Mooney spent hours registering for his first injection.
“That was really [nerve-racking] because I was already very anxious. It took me three or four steps to do the actual consultation, ”she said.
Once her friend dropped her off at the hospital, Mooney said she was overwhelmed with emotions.
“Everything flooded my mind again. Just him. His thoughts, ”she said. “I knew this was how I could do something for him. So I went and took the picture. It didn’t matter if I had any effect, any after effect. It was worth it for him. “
Mooney said she knows her story is not uncommon, so she hopes people in power will hear her voice and make every possible effort to improve the vaccine’s launch in South Carolina.
“Please, please, please, make it happen. Our country … the numbers are terrible … Do what you can. Put everything aside to make it happen. Our economy will improve. Our world will be better if we make it happen, ”she said.
The Department of Health and Environment said it hopes to launch a simpler vaccine registration system this week and is finalizing the details of the process.
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