Meerut Twins die hours apart after battling COVID-19; days after their 24th birthday

As India continues to combat the deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a family in Meerut has lost twin sons pertaining to post COVID-19 complications. The duo turned 24 a day before they tested positive for the virus. 

Born three minutes apart on April 23, 1997, to Gregory Raymond and Soja Raphael, both employed as teachers in St.Thomas School Meerut, identical twins Joefred and Ralphred Gregory breathed their last on Thursday and Friday respectively in a city capital. They received a call at around 11 pm on May 13 from the hospital saying their 24-year-old son Joefred Varghese Gregory had passed away due to COVID. Earlier that day, Joefred had complained of breathing issues. 

Meanwhile, Ralphred who was in the same hospital was also battling for his life after his condition deteriorated. And when Ralphred spoke to his parents and enquired about Joefred’s health, he immediately sensed something was wrong, even though, his mother said that Joefred had to be moved to a hospital in Delhi. “Maa, you are lying. Something has happened and you are not telling me,” Ralphred told his mother. And, the very next day, Ralphred also succumbed to COVID-19.

Twins turn 24 a day before testing COVID-19 positive

According to their parents, the twins who were engineers celebrated their 24th birthday this April and both contracted COVID-19 a day later. Residents of Meerut’s Cantonment area, the Gregory family initially treated the brothers at home, thinking the fever would subside, however, it didn’t. Their father Gregory said that both his sons were isolated at home after testing positive for the virus.

He added, "Amid increasing cases of corona in Meerut, our area was among the containment zones. For this reason, I was treating them at home. I thought their fever would subside but it did not happen. They died on May 13 and 14 due to COVID-19. When the oxygen levels of both sons started dropping below 90, the doctors advised us to admit them to a hospital to monitor their health for two more days in the COVID ward. Then, suddenly, on the evening of May 13, my wife got the call. Our world crashed.” 

“Three days later, our world came crashing… When Joefred died, I had a sixth sense that Ralphred would not make it. Simply because they were inseparable,” the father said.

“I hope the two brothers are at peace, together”: Gregory 

Gregory claimed to have admitted his sons to a private city hospital on May 1. The parents stated that the first corona report of their sons came positive but after a few days, their second RT-PCR report had come negative. They further said that the doctors were planning to shift the duo from the COVID-19 ward to the ICU. 

Gregory said that on April 13, he came to know his son Joefred had died of post COVID-19 complications, after which he had decided to move Ralphred to a hospital in Delhi but he too died the next day on May 14. Raphael adds, 

“I hope the two brothers are at peace, together.”

The two brothers who pursued B Tech together from Karunya University in Coimbatore, were working from home in Meerut due to the COVID situation in the country. While Joefred worked in Accenture Pvt Ltd, Ralphred was with Hyundai Mubis Company. Following their death, the family has been holding prayer meetings to find peace and strength.

(With ANI inputs)