Vancouver Island woman with husband in ICU urges people to get vaccinated against COVID-19

UPDATE, Sept. 30, 2021: Josh Mellor died due to complications from COVID-19 on Sept. 27, 2021. 

Josh Mellor, who was supposed to be helping with the tractor pull at the Cowichan Exhibition in Duncan B.C. this weekend, is instead fighting for his life in the ICU at Royal Jubilee Hospital. 

The 39-year-old father of two young daughters is unvaccinated. 

His wife, Miranda Mellor, is double vaccinated and is now urging people to get the 'Jab for Josh.' 

A Facebook group titled 'Josh's Fan Club' started by Mellor's family now has around 1,300 members, and more than a hundred posts from well-wishers. 

'Someone they know'

"It's been amazing the amount of people that have personally messaged me… that they've decided to get vaccinated after all of this."

Miranda Mellor said several people that were previously hesitant or putting it off have reached out to her saying that they decided to get vaccinated after seeing the situation that Josh is in. 

"It's not just the elderly getting sick. This is someone that they know and has a family." 

An online fundraiser has also been collecting money to help the family.

As of Thursday, Josh Mellor required a continuous positive airway pressure therapy or CPAP machine to breathe. Miranda Mellor said it is possible he will need to be intubated and put on a mechanical ventilator next.

Right now she can only communicate with her husband over text at the moment. The couple's oldest daughter, who is soon turning three, has asked about him.

"She knows he is at the hospital… I try to tell her happy things. She loves going for tractor rides with her dad. We talk about that and I try to keep it positive when she does bring it up." 

Danger of misinformation

Miranda Mellor is encouraging people who are hesitant like her husband was about getting vaccinated to talk to their health care provider over concerns, rather than getting information from the Internet or through word-of-mouth. 

"There is so much misinformation out there," she said. 

Miranda Mellor said she believed getting vaccinated was an important part of being responsible to her children. She said she's even more thankful now that she did, considering her husband requires hospital care.

"I really can't afford to be sick right now, because I don't know who would take care of our children," she said. 

Mellor says she and her husband did not have a meaningful conversation about whether they both should get vaccinated.

"I told him I was going to get vaccinated and he kind of gave me a smirk … we didn't get into it too much." 

The tractor pull at the Cowichan Exhibition, which Josh normally organizes, is moving ahead. They are calling the project 'pulling for Josh.' 

"It's amazing that they're putting it together and honouring him in that way," said Miranda Mellor.