PHOENIX — During their marriage, Manuel and Sally Montano were hardly ever apart. Not even death could separate the two. They died seconds apart five days after their 50th wedding anniversary.
The Montano's contracted pneumonia stemming from COVID-19 around Christmas, and both Manuel and Sally struggled to breathe for weeks before eventually being admitted to the hospital just days apart. Their granddaughter, Jordan Montano, said their conditions worsened the more they were apart.
“My grandpa went to the hospital and three days later my grandma came and followed him to the hospital. She didn’t feel good either,” Jordan Montano said. “They both didn’t do good when they were by themselves.”
Their 50th anniversary came on Jan. 23, but instead of celebrating with family and friends, Manuel and Sally were fighting for their lives in the hospital.
“I think that everybody should be careful because you don’t think it’s going to happen to you until it happens,” Jordan Montano said.
On Jan. 28, neither Sally nor Manuel could survive on their own, according to Jordan Montano. The family decided not to keep the couple on life support, and Sally and Manuel died within seconds of each other.
“We knew that they didn’t want to be like that, on life support, so we just made the decision, Jordan Montano said. “I’m so happy that I can tell myself that they went together, that they never have to be without each other, and it was seconds apart. It just makes me feel like they were really soulmates, and it makes me really happy.”
The family had set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses, but friends, loved ones, and complete strangers helped the family to meet and even exceed their goal of $10,000 in just a matter of days.
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