Veteran Charlotte firefighter dies of COVID. A week later, so does his wife.
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED AT 10:30 A.M. SUNDAY, SEPT. 19, 2021, WITH DETAILS ABOUT AMEE HAGER’S DEATH.
A longtime firefighter has died of COVID-19, the Charlotte Fire Department said.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the tragic passing of Charlotte Firefighter Jeffery Hager, a 24-year veteran with the department,” fire officials said in a statement on Sept. 12.
The 46-year-old Hager died Sept. 11, “after valiantly fighting COVID-19 for several weeks,” according to the statement.
Hager’s wife, Amee, died after also being hospitalized with COVID, her family said in a post on the Caring Bridge website on Saturday.
The couple have four children, ages 14, 13, 7 and 6.
“Our hearts are shattered and there are no words to explain the pain and grief we are feeling,” Amee’s parents, Tina and Randy Miller, wrote. “(We) only pray that we can find the right words to tell Amee and Jeff’s precious children that now, both their parents are gone.”
The Hagers’ vaccination status is not known. In an email to the Observer last Tuesday, Charlotte fire Capt. Jackie Gilmore declined to say if Jeffery Hager was vaccinated against COVID.
Amee’s family, in their post, urged everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“You cannot be replaced! Don’t leave your families behind to deal with this kind of pain and grief!” they wrote.
Jeffery Hager joined the fire department on March 12, 1997, “and served the community until his death,” according to the statement. He also served on the Huntersville Fire Department, the department said on Twitter.
“We ask that you please keep family, friends and fire department members in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the Charlotte Fire Department said in the statement last weekend.
Jeff and Amee Hager tested positive for COVID on Aug. 23, fellow firefighter Anjie Davis Blackmon posted on the GoFundMe fundraiser she established to help the family.
Vaccination status
On Aug. 26, Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris confirmed to The Charlotte Observer that eight Huntersville firefighters tested positive for COVID-19 and one at the time remained hospitalized.
Only two of the eight were vaccinated against the disease, and all shared living quarters and ate meals together, she said.
On Sept. 1, the City of Charlotte released data showing the Charlotte Fire Department, with 1,224 employees, posted the lowest vaccination rate of 49% among city departments. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, with 2,407 employees, had a 63% vaccination rate.
That same week, three organizations representing Charlotte police and firefighters sent a letter to city leaders opposing the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees, the Observer reported.
Admitted to hospital
The Hagers were admitted to a hospital on Aug. 28. On Sept. 3, their conditions worsened, Blackmon said.
Family members have been caring for the Hagers’ children, she said.
“Amee is a fantastic stay-at-home mom, often assuming the role of both mother and father with Jeff’s work schedule,” Blackmon said.
“As a fellow firefighter, I know that if I were in need of help, Jeff would be there to help,” she said. “Right now Jeff, Amee and their children desperately need our help.”
The Huntersville Fire Department joined the effort, tweeting photos of the family and the link to the fundraiser.
“Needing some prayers for one of our members & his family,” the firefighters tweeted. “A dedicated, beloved member & a VERY active public servant & his family. Not often we ask for help…we often avoid it. We’re the helpers. But we need your help today.”
Blackmon hoped to raise $10,000 for groceries, clothing and any other immediate need expenses for their children. She also hopes to devote part of the money to “maintaining their home for the day that they can all be rejoined as a family.”
By Sunday, more than 800 donors had contributed a total of $80,040.
This story was originally published September 11, 2021 at 3:38 PM.