Alison Sullivan
A 34-year-old man named Stephen Harmon passed away on Wednesday at the Corona Regional Medical Center in California from complications related to COVID-19. He was being treated for pneumonia and dangerously low oxygen levels. Harmon’s case was noted because he was a member of the celebrity-frequented Hillsong Church and staunchly anti-vaxx, posting many jokes and memes about vaccination.
In one tweet getting particular attention, he wrote, “I got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one.”
His Twitter account has been set to private at this point, but many of his old tweets were screenshotted, including the last thing he shared with his followers before being intubated.
“i’m choosing to go under intubation, i’ve fought this thing as hard as i can but unfortunately it’s reached a point of critical choice & as much as i hate having to do this i’d rather it be willingness than forced emergency procedure,” he wrote. “don’t know when i’ll wake up, please pray.”
He shared photos of himself in his hospital bed on Instagram.
COVID cases have been surging in California, and hospital beds are filling up. While there have been breakthrough cases amongst the vaccinated, especially with the Delta variant, the vaccine seems to be limiting the severity of symptoms of those infected who’ve had two jabs.
Dr. Oren Friedman of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was interviewed by Baller Alert because his specialty has been treating COVID patients. He told them, “Virtually every single person that is getting sick enough to be admitted to the hospital has not been vaccinated.”
Hillsong founder Brian Houston posted a tribute to Harmon, but that Instagram post has since been deleted, probably because as Jezebel reported, he still considers vaccination a “personal choice” and won’t encourage his congregation to get one.
“While many of our staff, leadership and congregation have already received the Covid-19 vaccine, we recognize this is a personal decision for each individual to make with the counsel of medical professionals,” said Houston.