GEORGE TOWN: The pain of losing his wife and unborn child to Covid-19 last year has cast a pall over the fasting month and Hari Raya Aidilfitri for Mohamad Nazri Mohamad Zakaria.

       The 33-year-old waiter said although he has accepted their deaths, there is no avoiding a solemn festival for him this year.

       “In previous years, my wife would wait for me to have dinner every night during Ramadan.

       “Although I did not get to break my fast with her due to my job, she always waited for me so that we could have dinner together,” he recalls.

       He is, however, thankful that he has their daughter Nur Aisya Medina with him.

       “She is now one year and 10 months old and is my strength to carry on with life.

       “I have to be strong to take care of her,” he said, adding that his parents care for her when he goes to work.

       Recounting what happened before his wife’s demise, Mohamad Nazri said he was unsure how she had caught the virus.

       “It all started when she started coughing profusely, and we sent her to Hospital Penang.

       “She tested positive for Covid-19 and my entire family had to be tested and quarantined.

       “Six out of nine of us living together were infected,” he said.

       Mohamad Nazri said he, his wife and his mother were admitted to Hospital Penang because of the severe symptoms they had.

       His wife was first admitted to a general ward but she seemed lethargic, he added.

       “Then she was sent to the intensive care unit when her condition deteriorated and the doctors had to put her on a ventilator.

       “She called to say that she would be sedated and that was the last time she spoke to me.

       “She was sedated for a few days before she passed away.

       “I was devastated when the medical officer called to inform me of the sad news,” he said.

       Reminiscing about the good times, Mohamad Nazri said he got to know his wife through Facebook.

       “We dated for two years before we were married in 2020. These memories will forever be in my heart.”

       His wife, Nur Syuhada Ahmad Syukri, was 26 when she died on Aug 11.

       “She was five months’ pregnant with our second daughter.

       “When our elder daughter is old enough, I will tell her what happened to her mother and sister. I will show her my wife’s pictures so that she knows what her mother looked like,” he said.

       Mohamad Nazri has resolved to make sure his daughter gets a good education.

       “Life is really unpredictable and we should really appreciate what we have before it is too late,” he added.