A Florida family who pleaded with their son not to go out during as COVID-19 cases escalated say they believe he exposed his high-risk father, who is now fighting for his life. John Place, 42, is now on a ventilator in an intensive-care unit as he battles coronavirus; his partner, Michelle Zymet, said Place’s son went out one night in June to eat and drink with friends, including one friend who later tested positive for coronavirus. The son developed cold symptoms but, by that stage, his father, his 14-year-old brother, his 6-year-old sister, and Zymet had developed symptoms, too. They all tested positive for coronavirus.

The family had asked the son to be careful because Place is overweight and diabetic, putting him at a higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19. Zymet told the Orlando Sentinel that she has been called an “awful mother” for blaming the stepson, but she believed it was important to share the family’s story as a warning.