Family and friends are mourning the loss of a Texas mother of two who died on Sunday due to complications from the flu, not long after she had decided against paying $116 for medication because it was too expensive. Heather Holland, a second grade teacher, left behind her husband Frank as well as a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son, according to reports.

Holland began feeling ill around a week ago and had gone to pick up flu medication, but decided against it because of the high price tag. When her husband learned of this, he picked up the drugs himself on Thursday, but by then her condition was worsening and she ended up in intensive care at the hospital the next day.

Just two days later, she was dead, leaving behind a grieving family struggling to make sense of a senseless tragedy.

“I have to be strong for the kids but it’s still surreal, it hasn’t all set in,” Frank Holland said according to a Fox News report. “We’ve been together a long time, over half my life. She’s my best friend, my soulmate, my everything.”

The Texas flu season has been absolutely brutal this year, with dozens of deaths reported.

“The flu vaccine causes your body to make antibodies to fight influenza, but it takes about two weeks for this to happen. So, it’s important to get the flu vaccine early, before influenza hits your community,” said Dr. Jennifer Shuford, DSHS Infectious Disease Medical Officer, in a statement on the Texas Department of State Health Services website. “By getting the flu vaccine every year, you can help protect yourself from influenza, and thereby prevent spreading it to vulnerable people in your family or community.”