Another Greek Australian has succumbed to COVID-19, the fourth known death within the Greek community of Melbourne according to data received by Neos Kosmos. 

The family of the deceased was willing to publish his name and cause of death for one reason: to increase awareness, particularly among those who refuse to believe in the severity of the pandemic of a virus which is especially infectious and lethal.

In the case of Haralambos Bakirtzidis, death was particularly painful.

He suffered exceptional pain while struggling in ICU, alone, at Footscray Hospital.

His children and grandchildren were unable to visit him and were limited to online communication.

His family loved him a lot, and he loved them. He leaves behind his wife, who also tested positive to COVID-19 but did not have as many complications as Mr Bakirtzidis. He also leaves behind four children and five grandchildren.

Mr Bakirtzidis was very strong physically, and was able to bend metal bars with his bare hands at the age of 80.

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His family was filled with octogenarians, with many living to over 100 years. He believed he would also live as long. And that is what his children had hoped for. But his life was cut short, suddenly, something he never believed would happen.

Well-known in the Greek community, Mr Bakirtzis thirsted for life. He enjoyed freedom in Australia, and the way of life here. He adored living well and dancing.

He was very well-known and loved by Greeks of Melbourne as he generously offered help to all in trouble, even at short notice.

He was a carpenter and renovated, reblocked and repaired houses for Greeks and others around Melbourne.

Since 1974, he worked in the reconstruction of Darwin after the destruction caused by the cyclone, and he lived on Patris, the ship which had brought him to Australia just a few years earlier.

He was an especially competent craftsman and had constructed a pizza oven and made custom-built tables for a restaurant in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. He was always creative and a positive person.

Because he was so strong, he thought he was safe from illness. He was not careful enough with social distancing, never wore a mask or gloves.

He caught coronavirus but the ambulance did not take him, they said he was in good health and it might be a flu. He continued going out and shopping, thinking he just had the flu.

His health got worse but he waited five days to call a second ambulance, and by then he had advanced pneumonia. He was put on a ventilation tube in ICU which was painful and required sedation.

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The Bakirtzidis family hope his story may warn others to not make the same mistake their father made, to stay home and put safety first.

“The family would like this article to be a warning to stay home and stay safe, because it is better to be alive and healthy than become permanently disabled or die a painful death due to coronavirus,” they wrote in a message to Neos Kosmos.

“Getting your coffee or going out too frequently for shopping is a risk not worth losing your life over. Be patient, stay home and wait for this pandemic to be over. If our father had listened to our warnings, and stayed home a lot more we may still have him today.”