Collected Item: “In Memory of Richard Sturges”
Give your story a title.
In Memory of Richard Sturges
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?
Obituary
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.
My dad passed away a week ago today after contracting COVID-19 in a SI nursing home and transferring to SIUH.
When we first learned of my dad’s diagnosis in the nursing home, his doctor prescribed him hydroxychloroquin which he had been using with good results on other patients. However upon trying to fill the prescription learned that the NY Health Dept under order by the Governor, had restricted the use of this drug to hospital patients only. You can imagine our dismay to learn this and our family immediately jumped into action contacting every state legislator about this horrific restriction on the elderly and nursing homes.
The two who stepped forward to answer our calls and hear our concerns were Borough President Oddo and State Senator Lanza and they made many calls on our behalf. Before long the restriction on nursing homes was lifted, hopefully before too many lives were lost, but the ban remains on any other New Yorker who tests positive and is not hospitalized. My brother and sister, along with their spouses, have now tested positive. Two of them are first responders and had a lot of difficulty getting tested.
I have been staying with and caring for my mom through this time and fortunately we have managed to avoid contracting this virus, so far.
My dad was buried 2 days after he died. The Navy showed up to play taps and present my mother with a flag “on behalf of the President and a grateful nation”, my dad would have liked that. The picture is attached and I think says a thousand words.
Only my siblings and mother were allowed to attend the burial, a funeral is not allowed at this time. We all wore masks and stood apart from each other and afterwards drove home to our separate houses…truly heartbreaking.
The fact that my dad was isolated for weeks before his passing is the hardest thing for my mom to bear.
They are lifelong Staten Islanders and this is their story…. Thank you.
When we first learned of my dad’s diagnosis in the nursing home, his doctor prescribed him hydroxychloroquin which he had been using with good results on other patients. However upon trying to fill the prescription learned that the NY Health Dept under order by the Governor, had restricted the use of this drug to hospital patients only. You can imagine our dismay to learn this and our family immediately jumped into action contacting every state legislator about this horrific restriction on the elderly and nursing homes.
The two who stepped forward to answer our calls and hear our concerns were Borough President Oddo and State Senator Lanza and they made many calls on our behalf. Before long the restriction on nursing homes was lifted, hopefully before too many lives were lost, but the ban remains on any other New Yorker who tests positive and is not hospitalized. My brother and sister, along with their spouses, have now tested positive. Two of them are first responders and had a lot of difficulty getting tested.
I have been staying with and caring for my mom through this time and fortunately we have managed to avoid contracting this virus, so far.
My dad was buried 2 days after he died. The Navy showed up to play taps and present my mother with a flag “on behalf of the President and a grateful nation”, my dad would have liked that. The picture is attached and I think says a thousand words.
Only my siblings and mother were allowed to attend the burial, a funeral is not allowed at this time. We all wore masks and stood apart from each other and afterwards drove home to our separate houses…truly heartbreaking.
The fact that my dad was isolated for weeks before his passing is the hardest thing for my mom to bear.
They are lifelong Staten Islanders and this is their story…. Thank you.
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
obituary, memorial, casey funeral home, staten island, loss, grief, college of staten island, HST 718
Enter a URL associated with this object, if relevant.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/staten-island-ny/richard-sturges-9108360?fbclid=IwAR2cx3s2n86YDQoD9goi2l81aaJkFME1B2NOPXiHIEwirWyxkgR5nFBDCc8
Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)
Amy Sturgis Smith
Give this story a date.
April 19, 2020