|

Remember Those Who Died: 10 Real Life Stories Of Covid-19

Vaccines are on the way. But it’s far, far too late for so many. Over 335,000 American souls have been lost to COVID-19.

Below are 10 people who died of COVID-19 chosen at random.

Audrey Ellis:

Audrey Ellis was 29 years old. She achieved a perfect score on her RN exam before landing her dream job in the transplant unit at UC downtown Denver Hospital.

Audrey loved life, Irish dance and yoga. She had recently completed the Tunnel Marathon in Seattle with her family. She shared her birthday with a twin sister named Kelsey.

Her greatest passion was Irish Dance competition where for 10 years she was nationally ranked and competed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. She was an avid skier, hiker, ocean lover, creative artist and exceptional SCUBA and free diver.

Audrey will be fondly remembered for her infectious belly laugh and huge smile. For her unconditional love and kindness toward everyone she met.

She died of cardiac damage due to COVID-19 on March 22. Her family asked that you thank a nurse for their care in her memory.

Lloyd Bowser:

Lloyd Bowser, Jr. was a 56 year old podiatrist in Baltimore, Maryland. Lloyd was a marathon runner & made house calls.

He died of COVID-19 on November 13.

He was a kind and generous man.

Lloyd regularly took his kids with him to distribute food to the homeless.

Yasmin Pena:

Yasmin was a senior at the Waterbury Arts Magnet School in Connecticut. She was following her passion for fashion design and theater.

Madeline Pena, her sister, said Yazy’s death should serve as a warning to young people who think they are indestructible.

“Young people can be affected by COVID,” she said. “Young people can die because of COVID. This isn’t a game. This isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s a disease that doesn’t ask your age. It says, ‘Oh, you’re a healthy person? I’ll take care of that.’ ”

Yasmin Pena died of COVID-19 on Easter Sunday.

Paul & Rose Mary Blackwell:

Paul Blackwell and his wife Rose Mary Blackwell, both teachers, died of COVID-19 within hours of each other on December 13. They leave behind four children and 20 grandchildren.

“Me and my brother came to the conclusion to let them go at peace together,” their son, Shawn Blackwell said. “They were together and holding hands.

“My brother and I were both holding my parents’ hands as well. So all four of us were holding each other’s hands as they were both removed from the ventilator.”

Tom Burek:

Tom Burek, a retired Illinois State Police lieutenant and coach, died December 12 after a 42-day struggle with COVID-19. He was 62.

His family said he wore a mask diligently and had no underlying health conditions. And was fit enough to run for miles in the blistering heat of summer.

Someone placed a pair of lemon-yellow Crocs on the Lane 4 starting block. It served as a memorial to a man never seen on a pool deck without them.

Michael Lang:

Michael Lang was just starting his college career at the University of Dayton’s Ohio campus in early August.

By Labor Day, Michael had COVID-19 symptoms. He couldn’t taste or smell.

When Michael returned home, he received an initial COVID-19 test, which came back negative. It was not until after he suffered cardiac arrest toward the end of September that a second test showed that he did, in fact, have the virus.

Micheal went into a coma and spent four weeks in multiple hospitals. He died on October 22.

Michael had no preexisting conditions and had never been in the hospital prior to COVID-19, his mother said.

Valentin Martinez:

Los Angeles police officer Valentin Martinez, age 45, died of COVID-19 on July 24.

“He worked as a patrol officer within @LAPDMission, dedicating his life to the people of LA,” LAPD chief Michel Moore tweeted.

Martinez is survived by his domestic partner who was pregnant with twin boys. She was due in November.

Tawauna Averette:

Tawauna Averette, a 42-year-old cardiac unit nurse at Kettering Medical Center in Dayton, died of COVID-19 on December 8, 2020.

She gave birth to her seventh child, a daughter named Skye, via C-section six weeks early.

Friends of Tawauna said the mom was not able to hold Skye before she died.

Sharon Renee Carroll:

On October 5, Sharon Renee Carroll gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Two weeks later, Carroll died of complications from COVID-19. She never got to hold her baby girl.

The 44-year-old occupational therapist of Huntington leaves behind her husband, Mike Carroll. She also had three stepchildren.

The community is wrapping its arms around the father of four as he navigates recovering from the virus himself and prepares to raise his newborn daughter, Anniston.

Dr. Celestino Perez:

Dr. Celestino Perez lived a life of service. The Air Force veteran was a longtime physician in Port Washington, determined to practice through the pandemic.

“As my father did what he loved to do, we could not stop him,” said Carlo Perez. “He knew the risks. It was important for him to be there for his patients, regardless of whatever happened.”

Carlo Perez said his father tested positive for COVID-19 after a routine test in mid-November. The 81-year-old took a turn for the worse and died at a hospital on November 16. 

His wife of over 50 years defeated the coronavirus. But the family says she died Saturday, December 12, unable to beat a broken heart. 

***

COVID-19 kills one American every minute. That’s 60 seconds that someone loses a loved one.

Please wear a mask and social distance. Your life literally depends on it.

3Shares

Similar Posts

19 Comments

  1. Thank you for this post. We lost my husband’s brother in April.  He was almost 20 years older than my husband and his younger brother and was truly more of a father figure for both of them.  He was a beloved member of our family and the glue that kept everyone together.  To be totally honest I haven’t dealt with his passing.  His wife dropped him off at the ER and that’s the last time any of his family saw him.  Does an exact number REALLY matter?  Behind EVERY number is a person. At what point does one consider ANY loss of life acceptable?  Thank you Brenda for reminding us that there are real people behind the numbers.

  2. I think this is good information. Also people who are saying not all the people died of Covid need to realize countless others died outside of a hospital & aren’t counted. Look at the Johns Hopkins website.
    Brenda I have a graphic to share but I cannot paste it here. Can you help me do it?

  3. Thanks for this post Brenda. I follow the Faces of Covid on Twitter. The person who started it wanted the individuals remembered as persons, not just as a statistic. It is heartbreaking to see all these faces and hear there stories. It enrages me that we have ever got to this point due to a complete lack of leadership from the government. To this day, no formal nationwide policies on mask wearing. These are very, very dark days in our country.

  4. Very important post Brenda . Unfortunately people don’t know all the facts and repeat misinformation about hospital reimbursements over diagnoses and insurance allowances. It could all be clarified but there was no consistent information ever given by the present administration, just overlooked and ridiculed. I worked in pharmaceutical clinical trials and thank God Europe took this serious many months before it reaching US and pharmaceuticals began vaccine research to have them ready. I will be much more at ease once I receive my vaccine. Many drugs are approved with lesser participants trying them before approval and this vaccine had many in Europe and in US trying it before approval. I am so angry this deadly disease became political when it could have been slowed many many months previously had competent and intelligence been practiced for the sake of everyone.

  6. This is beautiful. Thank you for posting it.

    Not saying my next comment pertains to any of these fine people, but reports coming from various sources say COVID death numbers are being artificially inflated. That’s coming firsthand from several friends as well as hospital workers.

    Several had loved ones admitted to the hospital for reasons other than COVID, such as aneurysm or heart attack. When they died, however, the hospitals declared them COVID deaths because they get higher reimbursement!!

    Another family member reported her father being admitted to the hospital seven times within a fairly short period. Never had time to finish any quarantine. Hospital got positive COVID results each time, so reported seven separate cases!!

    1. this is the truth, people die-we must face this fact and not fear life itself. My 93 mother w/ COPD for 35 yrs was hospitalized @ peak of ’19’, in hospital for 3 days, tweaked her back from all the coughing ended up in rehab for 20 days then back home with help from neighbors & hospice. NO ’19’. 2 months later broke her hip, had surgery, in another rehab for 2 months then into assisted living & died 20 days later, NO ’19’. Same with my M-in-L who’s been in assisted living for 2 1/2 yrs from hip break, heart issues; in hospice, dies 12/17. NO ’19’. OUR loved ones die! Accidents, old age, sickness, disease, all kinds of viruses need I say more? Americans need to move forward, live life & not FEAR!! LIFE-LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS!

  7. Brenda, of all the blog posts you have ever shared ….. this one shall forever be highlighted in my mind (and saved to my top bookmarks)! This just captured the pandemic so, so strongly, through lives that should have continued, b/c all of them had such happy things in their lives!!! The only thing missing is a share button: I would have gladly & gratefully posted this all over the place, so others can share and remember them – today and for many days onward, as we move towards a new year …… with a still uncertain future.

  8. I’m in tears while reading this. You have certainly put a face to this horrible virus. Here’s hoping and praying for a better 2021.

  10. Brenda,
    I read this post and it’s heartbreaking. At video/ Mass, our priest always makes a point of asking for prayers for our front line workers and victims who are sick or who have died. I am thankful that President Trump pushed Operation Warp Speed so the Pharmaceutical companies worked to develop a vaccine to protect us. My oldest niece is a oncology nurse and had the shot about one week ago. Hopefully, Covid will become extinct in 2021!

  11. I really don’t understand why so many are in denial about how serious this virus is. If we were all diligent about wearing a mask, sanitizing our hands (and such), avoiding crowds, etc we might beat this horrendous virus.
    Thank you for sharing, Brenda!

  12. So so sad to read of these losses this morning. Why is it that there were so many airports crowded with travelers for the holidays? It boggles the mind and I cannot comprehend it.

  13. Thank you, Brenda, for remembering these people who died of Covid 19. I am so sorry for their families loss…and as a memorable to them and all others who have died, I always wear a mask when I go out (which is not very often). I usually have my groceries delivered or curbside pickup and I definitely order all other things online. I personally know 5 or 6 people who have had the disease but have thankfully survived. Happy New Year and may it be better than 2020.

Comments are closed.