‘I shouldn’t have waited’: Unvaccinated woman makes plea to others in video days before death
31-year-old Megan Blankenbiller said she wished she hadn’t delayed jab appointment in final post
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An unvaccinated woman who died while battling Covid pleaded with others to get the jab in a video days before her death.
Megan Alexandra Blankenbiller, 31, expressed regret for not getting vaccinated sooner in a series of TikTok posts from her hospital bed.
“I don’t have a lot of energy for talking, so I’m going to try and make this quick,” Ms Blankenbiller, of Jacksonville, Florida, said in her final video. “I did not get vaccinated. I’m not anti-vax, I was just trying to do my research. I was scared and I wanted me and my family to all do it at the same time.”
“I do think it was a mistake. I shouldn’t have waited,” she continued, then going on to urge people to get vaccinated. “I think if you’re even 70% sure that you want the vaccine, go get it. Don’t wait, go get it. Because hopefully, if you get it, then you won’t end up in the hospital like me, okay?”
The video, posted on 15 August, has since been viewed more than 900,000 times. Just nine days after, Ms Blankenbiller had died.
Ms Blankenbiller had been hospitalised on 13 August, and documented her illness on social media. Her first video from hospital, posted on 14 August, showed her looking worried as screams were heard in the background, which she explained may have been from those who lost loved ones in a later video.
In another video, she explained how vaccinations work to her followers. “The vaccine is a layer of protection for you… it’s like a bootcamp for your body to go up against Covid. So that if, one day you come into contact with a live Covid specimen, your body already has a plan.”
Ms Blankenbiller also explained her initial concerns with getting the vaccine, by saying “I was scared, there’s nothing wrong with that… it’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be unsure.”
Her sister, Cristina Blankenbiller, told WebMD “it’s no secret this is something that should be taken seriously, but there’s so much misinformation out there.” She said that Megan, Cristina and their mother and other sister had agreed and scheduled to get vaccinated, but all fell ill with Covid-19 before their appointments.
“Her final video really showed a lot of who she was,” said Megan’s other sister, Rachel Blankenbiller “She was selfless - the type of person who used her final days to help others.”
Ms Blankenbiller’s death was announced by her sister in an emotional Facebook post on 24 August: “I am saddened and heartbroken to share that my older sister has been called to heaven today. Megan was such a beautiful person who gave her everything to anyone in need. She was a light to all around her and brought joy to everyone she met.”
Under her final video, comments included “thank you for encouraging others not to share your same fate,” “I’m gonna go schedule my appointment right now” and “she used her last breaths to help others. RIP and thank you.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments