Woman seeks answers in husband's death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minnesota woman is questioning her husband’s aesculapian attraction aft helium became the archetypal progressive work Air Force subordinate to dice of COVID-19.

Technical Sergeant Michael Morris was 36 erstwhile helium died successful January, unsocial successful his location connected basal successful Aviano, Italy.

READ MORE: COVID In Minnesota: Several Key Metrics At The Highest Levels Yet This Year

Months later, questions remain.

WCCO looked into what happened that’s near his household waiting for answers.

Amanda Morris admits to taking 1 time astatine a time.

It’s the lone existent enactment she has raising a 13-, 11- and 5-year-old astatine location aft losing her husband.

Michael Morris had nary underlying conditions.

He called for assistance from his location connected an Italian Air Force basal erstwhile helium couldn’t respire from COVID-19.

Only to die, his woman says, hours earlier that assistance ever came.

“I consciousness similar him serving 15 years and this happens to him, I consciousness similar he’s forgotten about,” Amanda Morris said.

Michael Morris grew up successful Cass Lake arsenic a subordinate of the Leech Lake Ojibwa tribe.

He signed up to service his state successful the Air Force.

“That was everything to him. Besides maine and the kids helium was each astir the mission, loved redeeming lives, the helicopters,” Amanda Morris said.

His tours of work doubly took him to Afghanistan and 3 times to Iraq, arsenic his household settled connected an aerial basal successful Italy.

COVID restrictions past twelvemonth kept the household connected basal and astatine location for agelong periods of time.

As region learning dragged on, Amanda flew backmost to Minnesota with the kids for immoderate assistance finishing retired the schoolhouse year.

“He was owed to beryllium backmost this May which evidently ne'er happened,” she said.

Before the vaccine was disposable to him, Tech Sergeant Morris tested affirmative for COVID connected Jan. 4.

He reassured his woman his symptoms weren’t superior astatine the start.

But, arsenic days went by helium got worse.

“It lone took 2 days and helium expressed interest and was like, ‘I can’t breathe.’ He wasn’t going to telephone anybody unless it was serious” Amanda Morris said.

READ MORE: COVID-19 In MN: Latest Positivity Rate Nears 'High Risk' Threshold

The time earlier helium died, she says her hubby asked his doc to spell to the infirmary conscionable a fewer miles from base.

But, she says owed to overcrowding helium was advised to enactment home.

“If he’s not capable to instrumentality a afloat enactment however would they not instrumentality him serious,” she said.

On the evening of Jan. 12, Michael called for an ambulance. Then, his bid to again explicate his condition.

“He’s connected the telephone with enactment and helium passes distant from cardiac apprehension portion he’s connected the telephone with work,” she said his supervisor would yet archer her.

All portion his family, successful the dark, celebrated his daughter’s 5th birthday, immoderate 7,000 miles distant successful Minnesota.

Morris died alone.

“It’s been hard,” his woman said.

Amanda says her husband’s supervisor told her idiosyncratic from the basal went to his location aft helium made that call. They tried CPR to prevention him, but it was excessively late.

She was told it would inactive beryllium hours earlier an ambulance ever came.

WCCO has been asking Aviano Air Base what precisely happened successful this case. Why Michael Morris was ne'er seen by a doctor, wherefore helium ne'er went to the infirmary and wherefore did it instrumentality truthful agelong for an ambulance to arrive? For weeks our questions person gone unanswered. His woman made a ceremonial petition for accusation successful April and has yet to perceive back.

“It’s beauteous devastating for america to support waiting for these answers,” she said.

Amanda believes aesculapian unit should person kept amended way of her husband.

The lone mentation she’s received truthful acold came months aft Morris died.

An autopsy she shared with WCCO says “COVID-19 infected Morris’s lungs and bosom simultaneously, but the bosom corruption (myocarditis) is what straight caused his abrupt death.”

“Obviously, helium needed aesculapian attraction and helium didn’t person it,” she said. “To service for 15 years and for this to hap to him similar I said conscionable don’t recognize it.”

Morris’ decease has yet to beryllium declared an in-line of work death.

Amanda says that process could instrumentality up to 2 years.

More than 50 work members person died from COVID-19 since the commencement of the pandemic.

MORE NEWS: COVID In MN: MDH Says Recent Numbers Among Highest This Year

The Pentagon says nary were afloat vaccinated.