The coronavirus pandemic has torn apart families in a thousand different ways this year. It's left children without mothers and fathers, robbed grandparents of their golden years, and cut marriages far too short. Sonya Kypuros of Edinburgh, Texas, is living through the grief of this now. Kypuros was left shattered December 13 when her husband of 21 years passed away from the coronavirus. But unlike millions of other Americans who've lost loved ones to the pandemic, Kypuros did feel blessed to get a goodbye (of sorts) from her husband. It came in the form of a final love letter, penned just before he died from COVID-19.
At the time of his death, Billy Loredo had spent nearly half his life married to Sonya.
The couple had married in their early 20s, and though they never had any children, they were said to be deeply devoted to one another. They were also well-known within their community, where Loredo worked as a lawyer.
In fact, according to a report by WFAA, both Billy and his brother Pete, a surgeon in nearby Grapevine, Texas, were both "beloved in their respective communities and are an impeccable example of turning a tough upbringing into incredible careers."
Last month, the family was blindsided by Billy's diagnosis.
The hardworking lawyer tested positive for COVID-19 on November 16. Pete Loredo believes his brother contracted the virus from his secretary, who unknowingly had the virus and was working in an adjacent office.
"She came in and said she felt like she had some allergies," Pete Loredo told the news station this week. "He told her to get tested immediately. She was positive and then he was positive."
According to Pete, his brother did everything right. He worked alone in his office during the day and wore a mask whenever possible. And yet the virus still found him.
In the weeks that followed, Billy's health rapidly deteriorated.
"He started to have mild symptoms," Sonya Kypuros told WFAA. "Like he would have a fever at night, but not all day long. For a week he actually seemed OK. But, it just turned quickly south from one moment to the next."
On Thanksgiving Day, her husband's symptoms seemed to escalate.
"He woke up early on Thanksgiving telling me that he was having breathing problems," recalled Sonya, who also tested positive for the virus but did not have severe symptoms.
Sonya rushed her husband to the hospital, unaware that these were some of their last moments together.
At McAllen Medical Center, Billy fought hard against the virus and doctors did everything they could to make him better.
"For two weeks he was just trying really hard," his wife recalled. "He was trying his hardest to not be put on a ventilator."
But despite his best efforts, Billy was eventually intubated on the advice of his doctors, as his wife comforted him over FaceTime.
Sonya did her best to encourage Billy throughout his hospitalization.
"I kept telling him that he would be OK, that he would get through this and that he would come back to me," Kypuros shared through tears. "It's just awful that I couldn't be there to hold his hand, and that he was fighting there for his life by himself."
On Sunday, Billy lost his fight with COVID-19.
But not before he was able to pen his wife one last note of his affection.
According to WFAA, the letter reads in full:
"I want you to know that I am fighting very hard every day for my life. I do it for you so that I can see you again. You are the most important person in my life and I miss you everyday. I know I am not always the perfect man I want to be but I do my best. You for me have always been perfect even when I say you are not and I get mad. 99% of the time I am wrong and you are right and I love that. If I make it through this I promise to be a better man, in God, in life, and as a husband. You have always deserved the best and I get a second chance I will do it. If I don't make it I want you to know that I lived a happy wonderful life with you and would never have traded it for all the riches in the world. I also want you to be happy and continue to live your life without me and with no regrets. We had our time and it was wonderful. I love you and miss you very much. I will keep fighting. Love, Billy."
The letter is heartfelt, raw, and honest.
According to his wife, that's just the way Billy was.
For Sonya, it's beyond difficult to read that letter, now that the love of her life is gone forever. But she also feels that the note was more than just Billy's way of telling her he loved her — it was also his way of granting her permission to be happy again, even if that's without him.
"That was hard to read," Sonya said while breaking down in tears. "But he took care of me and took care of everyone so I'm not surprised he wrote that."
Billy's family is sharing the letter far and wide to remind people of the devastation this virus can cause.
In Texas, where the couple lived, the coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire for months. To date, it's infected well more than 1.6 million Texans and caused more than 26,000 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
As a result, hospitals across the state have been overwhelmed by patients and countless ICUs are reportedly at capacity.
The city of #Houston hit 100,000 #COVID19 cases today.
Together w/ Harris County they reported 2,338 cases, nearly a new record.
Dr. @PeterHotez says we're already seeing a surge & the spread is so rampant, assume anyone you see could be carrying virus #khou11 #MaskUp pic.twitter.com/ym8X0h6DOY
— Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) December 7, 2020
Gov. Greg Abbott implemented a statewide mask order on July 3, though children younger than 10 are exempt and counties with 20 or fewer active COVID-19 cases can apply to the state for exemption. Still, many critics say the state isn't doing enough to curb the growing number of cases that continue to pop up.
In the meantime, the Loredos hope that Billy's memory lives on.
They also hope the public takes his story as a sobering reminder that even relatively young and healthy individuals — who wear masks and take precautions – can get the virus. And just like Billy, they might lose their battle.
"I don't know how this virus chooses or doesn't choose its host to cause the pathological damage that it does," Pete Loredo told WFAA. "If it finds the right victim, it is a killing machine."
