Heartbroken husband reveals wife’s final words before dying of the flu
A heartbroken Queensland dad has revealed the final words his wife said to him before she died from the flu.
Toowoomba mother of three Jacinta Foulds, 35, died in hospital early on Wednesday morning after catching the flu and developing a secondary infection.
She’s the 84th Queenslanders to die from influenza this year.
Her devastated husband Dan Foulds says he still can't fathom that he's lost his wife, and that their three children, aged 7, 10, and 11, will grow up without the love and care of their mum.
The couple shared some last words, expressing love for each other. Mrs Foulds never woke up and died very early on Wednesday morning.
"The last words I ever spoke to her, she told me she was sorry, (and) that she loved me," Mr Foulds told Nine News.
"If I had my time back again and there's even the slightest chance this would not have happened to me, my family, and my wife, I would've jabbed us all."
He's begged people not to "roll the dice" this flu season and to get the flu shot.
Health authorities have echoed his call, saying it's not too late, and that more than 37,000 Queenslanders have fallen ill so far this flu season.
Mrs Foulds was sick for about a week before she went to the doctor. She did what she was told and went home and stayed in bed.
On Friday she was diagnosed with influenza A, but by Tuesday she was so sick she called her husband at work, who rushed home and called an ambulance.
When she got to hospital, doctors gave her only a 50/50 chance of survival, and said the best thing was to put her into an induced coma.
‘It’s not a joke’
"If you're sick go to the doctor; if it's longer than two days .... go to the doctor," Mr Foulds told the ABC.
"The flu shot, I always thought it was a load of crap. I know me and my three kids will be getting the flu shot forever.
"It's not a joke, this stuff kills."
Health officials say it's rare, but severe complications can occur with the flu in people aged under 50.
It is not too late to be vaccinated before the peak of the flu season in mid-August and September, Darling Downs Health boss Dr Martin Byrne said.
Other preventive measures included good hand hygiene, cough etiquette and staying away from work or school if you are unwell.
People most at risk from the flu include infants, the elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those with chronic conditions and pregnant women.
A GoFundMe has been started to help Mr Foulds and his family.
With AAP
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