Billy Loredo was a brave man. He stared into the eyes of death and welcomed whatever the future held for him.
The 45-year-old from Texas was losing his life to complications of the novel coronavirus, but managed to write a letter to his wife of 21 years, Sonya Kypuros.
Billy sent the message to Kypuros before being intubated.
At that moment, she and Billy’s brother, Pedro, both realized this was his final letter. He died not long after.
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
“I want you to know that I am fighting very hard every day for my life,” Billy wrote. “I do it for you so that I can see you again. You are the most important person in my life and I miss you every day. I know I am not always the perfect man I want to be but I do my best. You for me have always been perfect even when I say you are not and I get mad. 99% of the time I am wrong and you are right and I love that. If I make it through this I promise to be a better man, in God, in life, and as a husband. You have always deserved the best and if I get a second chance I will do it. If I don’t make it I want you to know that I lived a happy wonderful life with you and would never have traded it for all the riches in the world. I also want you to be happy and continue to live your life without me and with no regrets. We had our time and it was wonderful. I love you and miss you very much. I will keep fighting. Love, Billy.”
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
“Billy was like a magnet. You instantaneously wanted to be around him,” Sonya told Bored Panda. “He really was that magical! He made not only me, but others feel loved and cared for. When he spoke with you, he made you feel important and was attentive to your concerns. He made everyone smile and had the best sense of humor.”
Sonya said their marriage was strong, grounded, and very blessed. “I could not have asked God for a better husband. He loved me and showed me in countless ways. He always told me how much he loved me and how important I was to him.”
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
Billy worked as an attorney—he started his own firm several years ago. Pedro said his brother was as a humble man with positive energy who loved celebrating Christmas with his family. The two of them also enjoyed hunting together.
“Billy was just a great individual. He set seeds in people’s hearts and they just grew,” Pedro told Good Morning America. “I’m going to miss his laughter. You could hear that laughter coming down the hall.”
Billy tested positive for COVID-19 in November, and his health declined on Thanksgiving. As a result, the man was admitted to McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Texas.
His brother, a surgeon who owns his own practice, was receiving updates from a colleague who was working at the hospital. According to Pedro, Billy had no underlying health conditions.
Sonya confirmed this. “He had intentionally increased his exercise since January and was cycling at least 20 miles, running, swimming laps in our pool, and lifting weights. That is another reason why his passing is shocking because he had worked hard this year to be healthy,” she said.
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
Billy was a romantic and would often send love letters to his wife
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
Billy’s brother and wife told WFAA they believe he likely got the virus from his secretary who unknowingly had it; the two worked in adjacent offices.
Loredo always wore a mask when possible, his brother said.
“She came in and said she felt like she had some allergies,” Pedro added. “He told her to get tested immediately. She was positive and then he was positive.”
Billy’s wife also tested positive, but she was more concerned about her husband.
“He started to have mild symptoms. Like he would have a fever at night, but not all day long. For a week, he actually seemed OK. But it just turned quickly south from one moment to the next,” Kypuros said.
“He woke up early on Thanksgiving telling me that he was having breathing problems.”
After Billy was admitted to the hospital, he was trying his hardest for two weeks to not be put on a ventilator. Eventually, however, the man’s condition worsened and doctors decided that he needed to be intubated.
Kypuros couldn’t be in the hospital at that moment, so Loredo FaceTimed her. “I kept telling him that he would be OK, that he would get through this and that he would come back to me,” she recalled.
The woman said she’s sharing her husband’s final letter to remind people that COVID-19 is still a threat.
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
“I think he was trying to give me permission to be happy without him,” Kypuros said, trying to make sense of it all. “That was hard to read. But he took care of me and took care of everyone so I’m not surprised he wrote that.”
Image credits: Sonya Kypuros
Here is what people said after reading Billy’s letter
Me. I cry every day. We're getting the surge hard and it's... Well, I'm not in patient information and "translation" now. I'm in "hold hands and administer kleenex and smelling salts".
Load More Replies...
This just saddens me. These idiots saying don't wear a mask, but I do not think that they realize that all these people that are dying, have families, and the families mourn. One death is enough to shake a whole family. May Billy's soul rest in peace.
@stephen wade I hope karma visit you, when you lose loved ones, people will not care too.
Reminds, poignantly, of the letter from Sullivan Ballou, written shortly before his death, as portrayed in Ken Burn's Civil War documentary: "My very dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days — perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more …" https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/civil-war/war/historical-documents/sullivan-ballou-letter/
If religion is nothing else, it can at least serve this: to provide comfort.
Me. I cry every day. We're getting the surge hard and it's... Well, I'm not in patient information and "translation" now. I'm in "hold hands and administer kleenex and smelling salts".
Load More Replies... This just saddens me. These idiots saying don't wear a mask, but I do not think that they realize that all these people that are dying, have families, and the families mourn. One death is enough to shake a whole family. May Billy's soul rest in peace.
@stephen wade I hope karma visit you, when you lose loved ones, people will not care too.
Reminds, poignantly, of the letter from Sullivan Ballou, written shortly before his death, as portrayed in Ken Burn's Civil War documentary: "My very dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days — perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more …" https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/civil-war/war/historical-documents/sullivan-ballou-letter/
If religion is nothing else, it can at least serve this: to provide comfort.
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