GRANBURY, Texas — He was a well-known musician in the Granbury community.
Jesse Overton’s family describe him as artistic and creative. He loved to sing, play his guitar and perform live theater.
His sister, Kathy Overton, told WFAA he had a big heart.
Now, his family is trying to grapple with losing him to COVID late September.
“It’s just hard to believe he’s gone,” said Kathy.
She said she begged her brother to get vaccinated time and time again, but he refused.
Late last month, he contracted COVID and tried to fight it off at home. Kathy and his daughters showed up at his home and found out how badly his illness had progressed.
“His breathing was so bad you could hear it through the window,” said Kathy.
They stood outside of his home and called 911. Kathy said Lake Granbury Medical Center, the only hospital in Hood County was full, so he was rushed to a hospital more than an hour away in Harris County.
Overton was hospitalized Sept. 17 and died in the hospital six days later, on Sept. 23.
The beloved musician said goodbye to his daughters through a FaceTime call.
“My brother would’ve had a good chance of living if he had taken that vaccine and if he had not been so stubborn about getting help,” said Kathy.
Some rural areas like Hood County are still having a hard time dealing with COVID.
Tuesday, Lake Granbury Medical Center in Hood County is still at 100% ICU capacity, according to Emergency Management Director Jay Webster.
The county currently has around 350 active COVID cases, and Webster said the death toll continues to climb. Every week, an average of five people die of COVID in Hood County.
Overton’s sister is now the full-time caregiver for his daughter with special needs. COVID turned her family’s life upside-down.
“A couple of weeks ago, I felt like I was just going to crack into a million pieces and just fall to the ground,” Kathy said. “It’s amazing how strong you can be when you have no choice.”
She said she has no choice but to try to pick up the pieces and move forward.
Her life goes on each day, but it’s not the same without her brother.