TLC reality star who died of COVID at 45 in Florida wouldn’t get shot, his sister says
It didn’t have to be this way.
So says the sister of “90 Day Fiancé” star Jason Hitch — who died of COVID-19 complications on Dec. 14 in Florida, at the age of 45.
The Spring Hill resident didn’t want to get vaccinated because he thought his immune system would see him through, Shannon Speagle told TMZ.
Speagle admitted she and Hitch often argued about the vaccine and that he wasn’t allowed to visit her and her kids until he got the shot, she told the outlet.
Speagle, who added that Hitch would often share misinformation about the pandemic, wants people to know that the vaccine likely could have saved her brother’s life.
In 2014, Hitch, a U.S. Army veteran, appeared in season two of the reality show — which documented him getting married to Brazilian Cassia Taraves; the two split in 2017, and divorced in 2018.
The popular show documents couples who have applied for or have already received a K-1 visa, for foreign fiancés of U.S. citizens, who then have 90 days to wed.
On her Facebook page, Speagle paid homage to her brother in his death announcement, which mentioned that she was at Hitch’s bedside when he passed away.
“Despite my frustrations and differing viewpoints I loved him very much and only wanted the best for him,” noted her post the following day. “Politics aside, please consider the absolute grief that now exists within my family and do what’s necessary to protect you and others. He was a healthy 45-year- old. If it could ravage his body, then it could to you or someone you love.
“I would never want another person in this world to experience the pain of dying from this virus or have to witness what I did last night.”
