SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — A Sheboygan family is dealing with tragedy as they start off the New Year. A 20-year-old father is dead from COVID. The family says they never expected him to get so sick since his twin brother also had the virus, but barely had any symptoms.
Gavin Horton is missing his other half, his twin brother Noah Horton.
“He was loving and caring and funny, outgoing,” says Gavin.
“He was always making people laugh,” says Noah’s mother, Amy Horton.
Noah graduated from Sheboygan North High School. His mom calls Noah her “middle child” because he was born just before his twin brother.
"He has a big sister, then comes Noah. It was Gavin's big brother by one hour and ten minutes,” says Amy, laughing.
Noah liked to spend his time fishing and playing video games. He and his girlfriend had a little girl who is about to turn 2 years old. They were expecting their second child in the spring. His mom says Noah loved being a dad.
"His number one priority is his daughter,” says Amy.
Just before Christmas, Noah got COVID. Neither Noah nor his twin bother Gavin were that concerned, because they didn’t have any health problems. Plus, Gavin had COVID last Thanksgiving in 2020. He says he had a very mild case.
"Since I had it and nothing really happened to me. I wasn't that worried,” says Gavin.
It was part of the reason his mom says Noah didn’t worry about getting vaccinated. But Noah went from having a moderate case of COVID to pneumonia.
“He kept calling me saying, 'I feel like I'm dying.' He couldn't get out of bed. He was exhausted. Fevers, chills and those lasted the whole 10, 11 days. He was like 'I can't take a shower, I have to stop. I'm trying to walk and I have to stop,'” says Amy.
They took Noah to the ER, but his family says he wasn’t admitted to the hospital because his oxygen level was okay. Two days later, Noah died in his sleep on New Year’s Eve. His family says it doesn’t seem real.
“I lost my best friend. It hasn't really hit me yet,” says Gavin.
"We haven't been able to touch him. And we haven't had the funeral because he hasn't been released yet. I think it will hit us when we want to call him or something like that,” says Amy as she cries.
Gavin says he is getting his COVID vaccine this week. The rest of the family is already vaccinated. His mom says her message to anyone who hasn't been vaccinated, don’t wait to get the shot.
“They don’t think COVID is going to do anything other than just feel like. But you just don’t know personally how your body is going to deal with it. It is better to just get vaccinated so it doesn’t get this bad,” says Amy.
The family set up a GoFundMe to raise money for Noah's funeral expenses. Amy also says she will help Noah’s daughter and the baby that is due in April. The family says Noah already knew he was having a second little girl.