A dad and comedian said he regretted not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in a series of heartbreaking texts before he died with the virus.
Professional funnyman Christian Cabrera, 40, said he "would do it in a heartbeat" after catching the virus and begged his brother to take care of his three-year-old son Noel.
The father, from Los Angeles, US, tested positive for coronavirus at Christmas and was rushed to hospital with pneumonia in both lungs shortly after.
Fighting for his life in the emergency room, Mr Cabrera texted his brother "I can't breathe again" and said "I really regret not getting my vaccine," reports KTLA.
He added: “If I can do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat to save my life.
"I’m fighting for my life here and I wish I gotten vaccinated.”
In an Instagram post, he told how he was suffering from what "has to be the worst pain I ever had in my life."
Mr Cabrera's family announced that he died on January 22 in a GoFundMe post to raise money for his son Noel.
His brother Jino Cabrera wrote: “We are very sad to announce that our beloved brother Christian Cabrera has lost his battle with Covid pneumonia and passed away tonight.
"We’re completely heartbroken. He touched so many people’s lives because he was a very loving, kind, generous, caring person with a beautiful heart and soul."
Mr Cabrera feared he might not survive after catching the virus.
Before his death, Jino told KTLA: "He keeps saying 'please take care of my son.'
"He knows he might not make it. He might die in there."
After almost two weeks in intensive care, he was put onto a ventilator and he died shortly after.
Mr Cabrera was described as "a very dedicated father who loved his family so much" and had "such a big personality that always brightened up anyone’s day."
Relatives are raising funds to help pay for his funeral, memorial, burial and ceremony and to ensure his son Noel is looked after.
Another post read: "Our hearts are completely broken. We did not prepare for his sudden passing so this has really posed a financial hardship on his family."
Covid cases have begun to fall in Los Angeles following the Omicron peak but infections remain high.
The city reported 18,822 new cases and 36 deaths on Tuesday, according to figures from the County of Los Angeles Public Health.
