This archive report was first published on 27 August 2021.
CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo is mourning the death of his 96-year-old grandmother, Francesca Madowo, who was the heartbeat of their family.
Published on August 27, 2021, Larry announced her death in a heartfelt post, expressing his love and fondness for her.
"My grandmother, the family matriarch, our heartbeat, my comedy partner, the dearly loved Francesca Madowo, has joined the ancestors," the CNN correspondent tweeted.
Francesca had been on a ventilator for four weeks after contracting Covid-19, a situation that Larry described as heartbreaking, especially given the lack of adequate vaccines in their community.
Just a month ago, Larry shared a story of how he lost three relatives in recent months while his grandmother was seriously ill, including his uncle Justus, who died in June due to a lack of Covid-19 vaccines.
"I had just finished filming at a crammed ICU treating critical Covid-19 patients in Uganda's capital of Kampala last month when I learned that my uncle Justus had himself died of the virus across the border in Kenya. I was heartbroken and angry," Madowo stated.
