28-year-old Atlanta man who died of COVID-19 has heartbreaking last message

ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta woman is mourning the death of her 28-year-old husband to COVID-19.

Braderick Wright died Saturday night. His widow, 25-year-old Brittany Wright, said his dying wish was for more people to get the vaccine.

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“That is his message: ‘Get the vaccine. Because I would hate for people to be like me,’” Brittany Wright said.

Wright said her husband was hesitant to get the vaccine because of conspiracy theories he read online.

“He was deep into Tik Tok conspiracy theories and, for him, he just didn’t want to get (the shot),” Wright said. “He didn’t trust the government.”

She did get vaccinated last month and is still waiting to get her second shot.

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They both got sick, but only Braderick Wright ended up in the hospital on July 30. Brittany Wright said her husband changed his mind about the vaccine after that, but it was too late.

On Saturday, doctors called to tell Brittany that they needed to intubate her husband. She was able to go in to to talk to him one last time.

“He told him he didn’t want to lose me. I told him I didn’t want to lose him,” Brittany Wright said. “I told him I loved him.”

Just a few hours later, she got the call that his heart had stopped.

Wright said her husband did have preexisting conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, but she didn’t think she’d lose him so young.

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“I’m 25. And I mean, I never expected to be a widow at the age of 25,” Wright said. “I expected us to grow old together have kids, have grandchildren and just live the life, you know. But sadly, here I am today, planning his funeral.”

The Wrights just got married in December, but have been a couple for five years. The both drive big rig trucks.

“My husband was really, really goofy. He had an understanding life is always an adventure,” Brittany Wright said. “We had trips planned, and now I don’t know what to do. He was literally the light of my world and that light is gone.”

Doctors told Wright she likely survived because she already had one vaccine dose.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses. Braderick Wright’s funeral is on Saturday.

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