Retired teacher from Warren died of COVID-19 several months after being vaccinated – Detroit Free Press

This obituary is part of We Will Remember, a series about those weve lost to the coronavirus.

Her daughter encouraged her to get testedeven though she had been fully vaccinated since February. Thats when Suzanne Martha Madigan found out she waspositive for COVID-19.

Madigan, 74, died May 16 at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit as a result ofcomplications from the illness.

The Warren resident was born in Detroit and grew up in St. Clair Shores, where she graduated from Lakeview High School. Madigan received a bachelors degree from Michigan State University and a masters degreein education from Wayne State University. She taught in the Grosse Pointe Public School System for 26 years.

Madigan met her husband, John, to whom she was married for more than 40 years, while at Michigan State University.They had five children and 13 grandchildren. He died in 2013.

After the death of her husband, Madigan spent a lot of time with her family and often found herself running from one event to the next, according todaughter Kelly Salamango.Her activities included spending time at her cottage off Lake St. Clair, attending grandchildrens sporting events, going out for dinner with her sisters and babysitting her grandchildren.

Madigan, known to many as Susy,loved flowers and spent lots of time tending to her meticulous garden.

In May 2019, Madigan was struck by a car in a parking lot after visiting her brother Duke, who had just undergonesurgery. She ended up breaking both of her wrists and femur and had to undergo surgery.

She spent the next few months in a rehab facility learning to walk again while her brother was in another rehab facility doing the same thing after his surgery, Salamango said. The joke between the two of them was who would get out first and get to go to their cottage.

Duke died in September2020. Salamango noted:Duke and Susy would talk every day (let's be honest multiple times a day) and were inseparable.

In April,Madigan, who was fully vaccinated, thought she had a sinus infection, so she had a telehealth appointment with her doctor. Her doctor agreed her symptoms suggesteda sinus infection, so he called in a prescription. Just to be safe, Salamango urged her mother to get tested for COVID-19. Theresults came back positive.

The next week, Madiganhad mild symptoms, was overly tired and didnt have much energy. Herson Matt took her to the hospital to be monitored becauseher oxygen levels were low. She was put on oxygen, and after her oxygen levels droppedagain, she was put on a ventilator.

Madigans family members relied on the hospital staff to give them updates two times a day and had Zoom calls becauseshe was unable to have visitors. Even though she was unable to respond, it was important for her family to let her know they were there with her, Salamango noted. Her mother diedMay 16.

It's surreal that she has gone through so much the last few years. We thought she was more protected from the virus since she was fully vaccinated and was very cautious if she had to go out, Salamango said. Yet the virus was just too powerful. We do find comfort in knowing she's reunited with our dad, her brother Duke, and her parents and other sister Nancy, who have all passed before her.

Madigan leaves to cherish her memory children Matthew (Shannon), Patrick (Rosanna), Timothy (Jennifer), Michael (Amber), and Kelly (Jason) Salamango; grandchildren Brady, Jack, Katie, Aubrey, Liam, Molly, Haley, Lacey, Lachlan, Stella, Miles, Quinn and Finnegan; and many family members and friends.

If you have a family member or close friend who has died from COVID-19 and you would like to share their story, please visit our memorial wall and select Share a story.

Brendel Hightower is an assistant editorat the Detroit Free Press.Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.

View original post here:

Retired teacher from Warren died of COVID-19 several months after being vaccinated - Detroit Free Press