Therese's Story

Joseph Occhipinti was a Husband, Father, Grandfather and Vietnam Veteran.

Refused Care For Being Unvaxxed

“are you vaxxed?”, my father then responded “no.”

On September 3, 2021, our father, Joseph Occhipinti, a Vietnam Veteran was told by his doctor at the veteran's clinic to go to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, NJ to receive Monoclonal Antibody treatment. Upon arrival, we were not allowed into the ER with him so he went in and we waited for a call from him thinking he would get the antibodies and be sent home. He was asked, “are you vaxxed?”, my father then responded “no.” After that, he was told, "Sorry we can not give you the monoclonal antibodies." He was then immediately given his first of 5 Doses of Remdesivir and they admitted him.

We Have to Follow Protocol

We still were not allowed in to see him although we called and called over and over again and I asked them to try Ivermectin. I was told, "We have a protocol to follow". He was moved from ICU to the step down floor and while he was there, he was abused emotionally and physically by a traveling nurse. He was then moved back to ICU as his health declined once again. He was coherent and speaking as we would FaceTime him daily. We called many times a day for updates and not once did a doctor speak to us.

Medical Records Through a Court Order

His eyes were marked to be donated as usable organs although he was never a donor and no one in the family knew about it.

In addition to the Remdesivir, he was given Vancomyacin, Dexamethasone, and Fentanyl among other drugs listed in his medical records which were only able to obtain by way of a court order. Then, when we went to pick them up we were told “There are well over 7,000 pages we will have to mail them to you”. Only after we read through those records did we discover this. On Sept 27th, two days before he passed, the doctor contacted the National Organ Donors Network and told them that his eyes could be donated. We were never notified or asked permission of this, and my Dad was not a donor at any point in his life. We still do not know if they took his eyes or not, we are trying to find that out. We are fighting and trying to make sure this does not happen to other families.

He was put on a vent on September 22, 2021. He passed away September 29, 2021, ALONE without us by his side due to “Covid hospital protocol". We could not hold his hand or say goodbye. My Father's life was ripped away from him. His voice and choices were taken away. He had six grandchildren, whom he adored and now their lives will never be the same without their Pa.