A newborn baby was carried behind the coffin of her unvaccinated mother after she died suddenly from coronavirus.
Mother-of-four Samantha Willis, 35, passed away on Friday barely a week after giving birth to her baby girl, Eviegrace.
Eviegrace was baptised at her mother’s funeral at St Columb’s church in Derry on Monday and tragic photos show the newborn being carried behind the funeral procession.
Samantha Willis had not been vaccinated against coronavirus and following her death her husband, Josh Willis, published an appeal for people to get the jab “so you or your family don’t have to go through what I have had to.”
Writing on social media, he said: “As I write this I am laying beside her, she is 35, unvaccinated and in a coffin. Let that sink in!”
He added: “It’s real, the numbers are real. Get your vaccine so you or your family don’t have to go through what I have had to.”
He described his wife as a “wonderful, loving and careful person” who had been “our superhero the last few weeks. She is now our guardian angel.” He said he had lost “the love of my life, Samantha,” who had “put up a strong fight for the last 16 days but in the end it just wasn’t enough.
“Myself, her mother and two eldest children were by her side. She was in no pain and was comfortable when she slipped away.
“While in hospital she also had to deliver our newest addition to the family, who she has never met properly or held in her arms. I will make sure that Eviegrace will know all about the mother she will never meet.”
Fr Joe Clifford told mourners that Ms Willis had been married in the same church two and a half years ago and it was “difficult to understand” what had happened.
“Samantha birthed forth new life just days ago, it doesn’t make sense,” he said.
“Here comes new life into the world, and it came out of a suffering body,” he added.
The mother-of-four died in intensive care in Altnagelvin hospital on Friday, after spending 16 days in hospital with Covid-19.
Hundreds of people posted tributes to Ms Willis and her family online. One wrote: “So so sad, absolutely heartbreaking and devastating for all the family. A beautiful lady taken too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”
Another added: “This has made my heart stop for a second. Sending every single person love.”
