DETROIT – Tony Tolbert, a Detroit high school basketball star who played at two Michigan universities, died Aug. 2.
The stand-out Detroit Mercy College star lost a brief battle with COVID. He was 50 years old.
Tolbert and his family were refusing to get vaccinated, but after his death, the family has a new message for everyone.
It took Tolbert’s death for the family understand the need for the shot. One-by-one, they rolled up their sleeves to get the vaccine. They made it a family affair at Kingdom Covenant Church, located on Seven Mile Road in Hamtramck.
The church serves as a vaccine center.
The family said they were afraid, even though Regina Davis -- the mother of Tony Tolbert’s children -- and her pastor both contracted COVID. The two made it through the illness and thought Tolbert would too. They thought the side effects of the shot would be worst than getting the disease.
You can watch Paula Tutman’s full story in the video above.
More: Where to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan in August: List of clinics