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Dick Farrel, a former anchor from right-wing TV outlet Newsmax, once spouted false claims about the virus responsible for the global health crisis.
But when the conservative radio host from West Palm Beach, Florida contracted the viral pathogen after staunchly advocating against the vaccine and its proven efficacy, he changed his tune and urged friends and family to get vaccinated.
Farrel died shortly after a brief struggle with the virus. He was 65.
His close friend, Amy Leigh Hair, posted a tribute to Farrel on Facebook and said his last-minute pivot from vaccine hesitancy was the reason she got inoculated.
"[The virus] took one of my best friends! RIP Dick Farrel. He is the reason I took the shot."
"He texted me and told me to 'Get it!' He told me this virus is no joke and he said, 'I wish I had gotten it!'"
Hair later told local station WPTV"
"I was one of the people like him who didn't trust the vaccine. I trusted my immune system."
"I just became more afraid of getting [the virus] than I was of any possible side effects of the vaccine. I'm glad I got vaccinated."
His death is an example of many vaccine-hesitant advocates who have succumbed to the illness from the viral pathogen.
We see a couple of these stories every day now. When is it going to sink in to the people who still aren't vaxxed? Who wants to die in such a horrible, excruciating way? Even worse, who wants to watch a loved one go through that?
— Joan Tempesta Begs You to Get Vaccinated - Please! (@DarkStarStorm) August 7, 2021
I vacillate between sadness and IDGAF with the anti-vax'rs who get sick and repent (and often die). Unfortunately I think we'll be seeing a whole lot of them in the coming days and weeks.
— Nick Lindeman (@slowagon) August 8, 2021
Prior to his illness back in July, Farrel, whose real name is Farrel Austin Levitt, called the vaccine "Bull Shid" in a Facebook post.
He later argued:
"Why take a vax promoted by people who lied 2u all along about masks?"
In addition to frequently disseminating baseless conspiracy theories on the presidential election, the ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump railed against Dr. Anthony Fauci and called him a "power-tripping lying freak."
He also accused "power trip libb loons" Democrats of conspiring to make it appear as if the pandemic was ongoing as a power grab moment.
People had little sympathy for someone who was responsible for spreading dangerous misinformation about the virus and possibly resulted in him having blood on his hands.
He not only killed himself but who knows how many people he killed by telling them misinformation about the vaccine
— Me (@DirectorOfTech) August 7, 2021
One by one.....self extermination.
— G.M. (Rather Incognito) (@POLILLITAM) August 7, 2021
I'm all out of sympathy for anti-vaxxers
— Grey_Jedi17 (@a_centrist_15) August 7, 2021
@DaveCarrig @NotHoodlum I kinda hate that my sympathy gene has been tapped out by these stories.— Jeanne Burch (@Jeanne Burch) 1628445450.0
I apologize in advance for sounding heartless, but this is natural selection taking out the mentally weak and inferior amongst us so that the rest of us may survive as a species.
— wayoftheworld (@thewayotheworld) August 7, 2021
I got nothin'. How many people have listened to him and nit gotten vaccinated. How many were infected and then infected others. We could have been on the way to stopping this. I'd like to feel bad but I. Just. Can't.
— Mastracchio 🏳️🌈 pronouns she/her (@Emastrac) August 7, 2021
Stories like this tear me apart. On the one hand I care and have sympathy for all human beings. On the other hand, some people, through their own malfeasance, have made themselves ineligible for my sympathy or even my thoughts and prayers. I have more road to travel.
— Milford Coor (@mlcoor70) August 8, 2021
Farrel's partner, Kit Farley, wrote on Facebook:
"He was known as the other Rush Limbaugh. With a heavy heart, I can only say this was so unexpected. He will be missed."
A vast majority of the U.S. population is continuing to believe in false claims about the virus and refusing to get vaccinated.