Not only him, but his elderly parents and other relatives, including children, were also stuck in the house.
Since coronavirus became a global pandemic, multiple nations have had an explosion in the number of people who got infected. Italy is one of the most affected countries. In the countries where the majority of the cases are, the public health system might be feeling the pressure. Because of the nature of the disease, there have been instances where people who died at home because of the infection couldn't get the last rites they deserve. One such case came to light in Italy after a man, who is also an actor, posted about it online.
Actor and mixed martial arts trainer Luca Franzese, who appeared in the TV drama Gomorrah posted a video that was heartbreaking and showed the difficult times we are living in. He pleaded to anyone who was listening for help to have his sister's body to be given a proper burial. Teresa Franzese, 47, his sister, had succumbed to coronavirus at home on March 7. She also had a pre-existing illness.
"I am waiting for the institutions to give me answers since last night. Nobody came forward,” the actor said in an emotional video, according to NYPost. "This is a very strong video, please don’t show it to children and elderly people. I am forced in all my pain to fight this situation — I have my sister here in bed, dead. I don’t know what to do, I can’t honor her as she deserves because institutions abandoned me," he said.
Unable to find a funeral home that would take her, he said, "I contacted everyone, but nobody was able to give me an answer," according to the Washington Post.
While dealing with his own grief, he continued to be a good citizen and insisted that his sister be tested even though she had already passed away and it was confirmed that it was coronavirus that took her, as per AlJazeera.
"I self-isolated myself. Today I could go anywhere to spread the virus if I have it because I gave my sister a mouth-to-mouth to keep her alive and no one cared," he said. "Guys, we are ruined, Italy abandoned us, let’s support each other. I beg you to spread this video everywhere — make it go viral,” he added. “This is my sister, can you see her? She’s in bed, since yesterday."
The woman's elderly parents and relatives, including children, had been in the house where Teresa's body was for 36 hours before anyone came to take her away. After Luca's video went viral, a local funeral home came forward and they did the job with extreme precaution.
"It was surreal," said Pasquale Pernice, one of the employees of Aprea Funeral Home. "We used masks, sterile shoes, hazmat suits, glasses, and gloves. Luca and another relative were there, but other family members were all in another room."
The 47-year-old was buried without ceremony. No family was present during it. Since then, the family have been doing their part and stayed home. In these tough times, the community has rallied around them by bringing them food.
References:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/12/coronavirus-bodies-italy-quarantine/
https://www.naccho.org/membership/lhd-directory
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
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