Items

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  2021-01-16

  In Grey

  It's an expression of my pain fro. Losing my daddy and it helps me to heal to tell the story thru music and video like this.
• 2024-07-23

  Why don't I remember most of Covid?

  I remember working remotely from my kitchen for my job. I remember watching movies. I remember being locked down and taking trips to the supermarket wearing masks. I remember avoiding touching things and copious amounts of hand sanitizer. I remember my parents getting older and using facetime to be able to see them. I remember them dying and not being able to take a flight across the country to be there. I remember that birthdays happened without parties. I remember having Covid after being vaccinated, being careful and giving up so much of life. I remember finding out that friends had passed away and not knowing they passed. I remember starting to make changes in the way I do things like open a door without touching the handle. I remember being concerned for the safety of others and wearing a mask for their protection. I remember being chastised for wearing a mask and people trying to shame me for it. I remember holding my breath when a person passed me on the street to reduce risk. I remember standing farther away from people in line and not talking to people. I remember not seeing a smile and not remembering to smile. I smile now. It takes effort but I smile now.
• 2020-04-10

  Connections

  My personal experience with Covid-19 is that for me it has shaped the way I see relationships and it has also affected me personally with my grandparents death. I think that quarantining is important but as a teenager it has made it more difficult to socialize and has made me more awkward and opposed to talking to others. My familial relations have also been affected as my grandparents lived in Europe and I was not able to see them a last time before they passed and was not able to attended their funeral. It is hard to come to terms sometimes and is a difficult fact to accept. I think that Covid has reshaped the way I see relationships and human connection and is something that I actively am trying to improve.
• 2020-08-10

  Saying Goodbye during the pandemic

  During the pandemic my grandmother acquired the virus and desperately needed medical attention but the Healthcare system in a third world country such as Peru was saturated. she had to wait outside the hospital in a temporary medical tent. my grandmother passed away two weeks from her diagnosis. many other families experienced the same situation. this story is very important to me in order to spread awareness of what can happen if a country's health system is not equipped with the necessary tools to handle such terrible events like the pandemic.
• 2020-12-20

  Declaring Patient 100 Deceased Life as a NYC EMT During an Unprecedented Global Pandemic

  December 20th, 2020, started as an “ordinary” day for myself and my colleagues. 1600 hours rolled around, and my partner and I clocked in for our sixteen-hour tour. We had finally adjusted to our new routine of working a mandatory sixteen hours as opposed to twelve. As emergency medical technicians, we were at the forefront of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City. Our region was hit hard by COVID-19 and seemed to be the epicenter of the pandemic for longer than one could ever imagine. For NYC EMS workers before the pandemic, it was common to see around three thousand calls for service daily across all five boroughs. Once the pandemic struck the call volume rapidly overwhelmed the city's EMS resources as they answered a record seven thousand calls for service daily. My partner and I made small talk as we awaited the arrival of the outgoing crew. The day shift arrived back at the station exhausted, defeated, and depressed. They informed us that during their sixteen-hour tour, they had answered twenty calls for service; fifteen of which were for critically ill patients. After some small talk, we exchanged medication kits and radios as it was our turn to serve the great city. Immediately after logging on to the computer system and giving the dispatch center an in-service signal, we were called for a priority one assignment. Our unit was called to the scene of a thirty-two-year-old mother diagnosed with COVID-19 who had stopped breathing. As we arrived at the scene, I donned my four-day-old n95 mask, as well as a makeshift gown made from a garbage bag with holes cut for my head and arms. As we made our way up the five flights of stairs the sound of the screams grew louder. We entered the apartment to find a woman lying on the couch who was clinically deceased. For the next forty-five minutes, my partner and I worked feverishly to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, endotracheal intubation, as well as intravenous cardiac drug administration. Despite our efforts, the patient continued to show no signs of life, my partner and I locked eyes and nodded at one another, knowing we had done all that we possibly could have for this patient. I switched the cardiac monitor off and looked down at my watch as I said, “Time of death 1705 hours”. Our next responsibility was to inform the patient’s husband and children of her passing. While you train for many hours to show empathy after death, this task never gets easier. My partner sat in the kitchen with the family, while I prepared the paperwork for a death pronouncement. My partner delivered the life-shattering news and did her best to console a grieving family. After returning to our ambulance to decontaminate our equipment and restock for the next assignment I opened my logbook to record the death encounter. My heart sank as I turned to the next open page which was page number one hundred. In less than one year, I had pronounced one hundred patients deceased from COVID-related illnesses. In my short career before the pandemic, I had only pronounced about fifteen patients deceased. It was at that moment that the true magnitude of the pandemic sank in. COVID-19 had decimated the way of New York City life, the previously bustling city remained shuttered as many remained in indoors in hopes of preventing illness. Before the pandemic, I had known the city as a connection of vibrant neighborhoods filled with culture and joy. COVID-19 had robbed our great city of its life and color; for the next two years, the city appeared black and white as a shell of its previous greatness. These thoughts quickly fled my mind as my unit was once again called to another high-priority assignment. We were called to a sixteen-year-old man diagnosed with asthma, who had recently contracted COVID-19 and was struggling to breathe. Our days were filled with assignments like these, often with no rest, and zero opportunities for a meal break. Nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I were exhausted, and our mental health and morale were at an all-time low. Many of my collogues fell ill, and four of them died because of COVID-19. We had often asked ourselves and one another; “Why Us? Why are we still doing this job? and when will this end?” While these times were challenging, we understood that we had been called to work in EMS because of our passion for caring for those in need. Day in and day out, we found strength and resilience in one another. My colleagues and I had implemented daily peer support groups in which all were welcome to come and speak about their experiences. While COVID-19 seemed to pull the world apart, it pulled EMS staff closer together. Enemies quickly became friends, and seemingly overnight we all became family. Our perspectives were unique as we were the only healthcare providers to enter the homes of the ill, and feverishly worked to care for them under less-than-ideal conditions. As the number of COVID-19 cases began to decline with the introduction of the vaccine, my colleagues and I felt we could breathe a sigh of relief. As quickly as the pandemic entered our great city, it seemed to vanish even faster. Each shift brought hope as we watched businesses reopen, and the streets were once again filled with color and culture. While we experienced new variants and spikes in COVID-19 cases, we felt that our great city had become stronger and more resilient. While COVID has changed our way of life, one thing I will never forget is the comradery we built amongst the emergency medical services personnel. To this day my colleagues remain a second family in which I can confide after a difficult shift. While COVID was one of the greatest challenges faced by New York City, I feel that it has made us stronger and more resilient than ever.
• 2020-03-31

  Covid: My Experience in the Pandemic

  Covid: My Experience in the Pandemic The pandemic was an unforgettable experience for my family, as well as countless others. During a time of struggle, we faced many unforeseen challenges that were somewhat difficult for our developing minds to comprehend. Not to mention, the greater the understanding, the greater our issue seemed to be. However, in a time of dread, it became a blessing eventually. In the beginning, it was more of an adjusting period. The idea of quarantine rocked our worlds as we could no longer be out and about. Attempting to find creative solutions seemed challenging, which led us to free meals from different businesses attempting to be of service. Not to mention, on Sundays, we were unable to go to church. However, this soon became a blessing as we began doing “church at home”, which quickly led to a strong family bond. Around the middle of covid, things became slightly easier. We were beginning to adapt to the challenges presented to us. We began working with our neighbors’ family to complete online school, which formed an unbreakable bond with them as well. The grandmother of the house made everything go smoothly, and she supported us over the years. Moreover, in previous years, she would work with my siblings and I to ensure our success in academics. Finally, the end of covid felt like the worst. The transition back to school was not without its tribulations. Others like me had lost their sense of self, acting irrationally. In the midst of it all, the grandmother of our neighbor's family caught covid. Unfortunately, she didn't make it. It took a long time, but we came to terms with it and we were truly blessed to have met her and blessed because she was a chapter in our lives. In conclusion, my family as well as my neighbors’ felt the challenges of covid. However, instead of separating us, covid (ironically) brought us closer together than ever before. From bad to blessed, from terrible to terrific, a great tragedy ended up being a valuable experience. In the end, I'm thankful for covid shaping my character and strengthening my loved ones.
• 
  2021-07-30

  Covid Was Over

  In 2021 my Mom and I planned a trip to Mexico to visit her side of the Family. We had been putting off the trip because of a lack of money and then Covid hit. It had been seven years since my mom had been able to visit her mother and her siblings. At this point in time, travel restrictions and quarantines were largely a thing of the past. People in my area no longer considered Covid to be a threat in the way it was viewed in the early part of 2020. Masks weren’t in common use and people went about as they pleased. Deaths were still rising. By June of 2021 our trip took place. Most of the big travel restrictions had been lifted, but oddly enough America still had testing restrictions for reentry. Mexico, a nation that still cared about limiting the spread of the virus, had no testing or vaccination requirements for entry. We went on our trip and had a great time visiting our family in Mexico City. While staying we decided to visit the Museum of Anthropology in the city center. To enter, we had to go one at a time and be sprayed with some sort of sanitization chemicals by guards in the front. Being a poor Spanish speaker I was afraid I would do something wrong and that they wouldn’t let me enter. Thankfully everything went well at that time. When the time came to leave we had to locate a pharmacy that would do rapid testing for our return trip. America had very specific instructions that only allowed for certain pharmacies to do the testing. This made it very difficult to find one that would work. When we got to the testing site it reminded me of zombie movies. The pharmacy was surrounded by tall iron fences with razor wire at the top. People wanting to be tested were funneled one by one to a testing kiosk. The kiosk itself was a glass paneled box complete with attached glove arms and a ventilation system. The test itself was a simple swab test that was much more painful than I thought it would be. My nose hurt for an hour afterward. On the day of our departure I was nervous that something would not be correct with our records and we would be stopped from leaving Mexico. The person who officially went over our records was in the baggage check in area. She took our documents and didn’t even look at them for one second before handing them back. I was confused but this, since our American travel sites made such a big deal about it. Honestly, we could have easily faked the records to get back into America. Ultimately we got home safe and sound. A little over a month later everything went to hell. My cousin, Aunt, and Abuelita all contracted Covid and were hospitalized. My Aunt and Abuelita passed away from the virus, only my cousin survived. My mom had to deal with the loss of two close family members less than two weeks apart. It felt so wrong, how could they have both died when Covid was over?
• 2021-03-18

  A Burial Post Pandemic

  I did not travel during the entirety of the strict lockdown period of the COVID-19 Pandemic. My wife and I worked in retail and were deemed essential so we worked through it from April 2020 until the restrictions were broadly lifted. In March 2021 my mother died of an unrelated illness, the first trip I took after the travel restrictions were lifted was to bury her in Carlsbad, New Mexico. We did not hold a funeral service and we did not hold a memorial, she was cremated and buried quietly. I remember this very vividly because even at that time it felt wrong to travel and to be interacting with people in a way that wasn't required by work. We wore masks the entire time. Due to our proximity to El Paso, TX I remember vividly when they were storing bodies in buses in the streets there and this made us fearful and cautious. Even had we not been still in the throes of the pandemic, I don't think I would have done anything differently but I do believe that the added stress of travel would not have been present thus making the trip more manageable. Due to our need to isolate, and resist getting sick, what I remember most of all is the loneliness of the matter, and the quiet car rides, and wondering 'How might things have been different?'
• 
  2021-03-09

  Long Live My Mama

  I feel like my mama story needs to be heard. We loss millions of people to it .
• 
  2021-02-17

  It took my world

  This is a photograph of my best friend, my mother. In December of 2020, we went to Disneyworld and came back with Covid-19. I was barely pregnant at the time, but my Covid symptom was only a cough. This cough would only hurt my uterus, so when I started to miscarry, I wasn’t too surprised. My mom, on the other hand, thought that her muscles were sore from walking around the parks for a few days. She had a cough and a bit of a fever, but was still walking around the house as we quarantined together. She was cold, which only ever happened when she was sick. One day, she didn’t leave her room because she was struggling to catch her breath if she did too much. She had me turn the heater on for her because of how cold she was under her blankets and comforter. She had been keeping her C-PAP machine on to give her the extra air support, but when we checked her oximeter, it was only at 70. So I called the paramedics like she asked me to, they came, we met them at the door, her vitals were taken, and they said that I could take her to the hospital or they could. I told her that I would drive. I had to take her to the emergency room that was not in our normal network because that’s what was open. I took her there with the expectation of getting her transferred the next day. When we called, the other hospital couldn’t take her because all of their beds were filled. So, she stayed there, and I couldn’t be with her because they were trying to keep the spread down. She was texting and FaceTiming me for the first 4 days that she was in the emergency room. On the 5th day though, she stopped responding. I called the hospital and they told me that she had spoken to her doctor and they had decided to put her on the ventilator to give her body a break for a few days. It was not a few days. On day 39 of her being on the ventilator, they lowered her sedation medication and she had no eye movement. So, I told them to let my brother go in and say his second final goodbye and to call me when they had ended her fight the next day. They called and said that she took a few seconds off of the ventilator before they called the time of her passing. I was alone now. My dad passed away in 2006 and my brother was a technical part of my family, but it was just me and my mom in the house still. Now, it was just me. A year later, I lost my home because I couldn’t get a loan approval to buy out my brother’s half of the equity. At that time, I was pregnant again with the baby girl that my mom dreamt of me having. This child that she had planned to be overly involved with, to play with, to snuggle, to kiss, and to have memories and adventures with. But now, the nursery would be someone else’s room. A stranger. Covid-19 took my baby, my mom, my house, my stability, and my will to love. I have been able to love my baby girl, but I am always comparing myself to my mother and thinking about how she could’ve been the best grandma. How she would’ve helped me. How we would’ve traveled to so many places together. And now, I struggle to pay rent on a single room. I leave my child at daycare 5 days a week and try to keep her there for each meal in case I don’t have enough to feed her. And I hide away from a lot of socializing because my mom was my favorite person to hang out with.
• 2021-04

  Regret for a Trip Not Taken

  This story is about travel that did not happen, but should have during the Covid-19 Pandemic. In mid-2020, my little sister Sarah was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She was married and had 3 children up in Seattle. When my family heard the news, travel was severely restricted and many people were still dying daily from the virus. I have my own wife and kids, so we all agreed that it wasn’t a good risk to go and visit. Besides, we reasoned, she hadn’t started treatment yet and she had good chances of beating cancer. So we waited it out. My sister and I talked frequently, and she told me that she was optimistic about her cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, our Dad died in January of 2021 due to complications related to Covid (he had Parkinson’s also), and neither of us could travel to do any funeral service. In April of 2021, the pandemic had cleared up enough that most travel restrictions had ended, everyone was vaccinated, and the risk was lower. My older brother Sean had planned a trip to go to Seattle and stay there for a month to visit, help take care of kids and just be there. He urged me to go, at least for a week or so because he told me that he thought it wasn’t going as well with her treatments as Sarah had led me to believe. Because of Covid patients overwhelming hospitals, I don’t think she was getting as much good-quality medical care as she needed, though that’s my opinion. Anyway, I didn’t want to go on this trip. I don’t particularly handle death and dying well, and I didn’t want to go there and be basically sad and crying the whole time, and I was in denial about her health, so I didn’t go. A few months later, in June 2021, Sarah succumbed to cancer and died. If I could go back in time to do it over again, I definitely would have gone. I would have liked to walk around Seattle with her and take pictures to put on Facebook, our primary means of sharing memories, or take her kids out for a few hours to sight see and get to know them better. I regret, and always will, that I did not go and see her and her family there at the end.
• 2020-06-18

  Florida to California

  In June 2020, I had to drive from Florida to Northern California for a new job. I didn't fly for fear of Covid and I had a car to move. The journey took me 5 days. The first day was from Tampa Florida to Mobile Alabama, the second day was from Mobile Alabama to Dallas Texas. The third day was from Dallas Texas to Albuquerque New Mexico. The forth day from Albuquerque to Cedar City Utah where my sister lives. Finally from Cedar City Utah to Truckee California. Before the trip I had isolated myself for fear of getting sick while travelling which I feared greatly. My general approach was to eat breakfast at the hotel, get lunch in a drive through, and have uber eats deliver food to my hotel for dinner. Along the journey it was interesting to see how strict the rules were depended greatly on where you were. In Texas I stopped at a donut shop for coffee and found a large group of elderly men sitting around drinking coffee and eating donuts without a single mask to be found. This group was clearly not concerned about Covid. However, when i drove through Navajo country in Arizona, the rules were very strict and only drive through food options was available and I had difficulty finding an open bathroom in the entire area as no gas station or restaurant was allowing people inside. I also remember listening to E Street Radio on satellite radio and Bruce Springsteen was reading the obituaries of people who had died. I remember that being a striking moment throughout all of this.
• 
  2020

  Life of a Trini during the Covid 19 Pandemic

  My story talks about difficulty I experienced during the pandemic
• 
  2023-05-15

  Analysis of "The School Where the Pandemic Never Ended"

  Analyzing a New York Times article entitled, "The School Where the Pandemic Never Ended" through the lens of Daniel Defoe and Thomas Paine
• 
  12/08/2021

  Jill Smith Oral History, 2021/12/08

  Dr. Jill Smith is a retired professor from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, she currently lives in Menominee Wisconsin. In the interview, she talks about how Covid-19 has affected her family and her work within her community. As she started the pandemic as a caregiver for her husband who unfortunately passed in January. When she talks about her job as a contact tracer for Dun County and how that has shaped her life. While she also volunteers at Steeping Stones and interacts with her community. Commenting on the political side of how her community adapted to the pandemic. Concluding with her perspective on how the future may look with the new Omicron variant.
• 
  12/12/2021

  Cheryl Oral History, 2021/12/12

  Cheryl is just one of my many Eau Claire County residents who have been experiencing the many issues of COVID in the nursing home environment. But what makes Cheryl’s story unique is that throughout this pandemic she has seen three different outbreaks within her facility and just recently experienced Covid for the first time earlier this month. However, Cheryl claims that thanks to COVID nursing homes, especially her current facility, will never resort back to normal. Much like her potential to engage in therapy, COVID has halted many aspects of Health care’s motivational tone and instead turned into an isolation facility. Through her limited experiences with staff and her few conversations with family and her roommates, Cheryl has hit rock bottom a few times. Yet through her love of the holidays and association with such a supportive family, Cheryl continues through, what she predicts, to be the next major virus that will never leave.
• 
  2021-11-30

  Project Hospitality on the Frontlines of Covid

  This video was put together by our development department. It showcases the work Project Hospitality has done during the pandemic.
• 
  2023-03-15

  Kit Heintzman Oral History, 2023/03/15

  Kit Heintzman is a recovering academic currently residing in Lenapehoking, who was trained in the medical humanities with a special interest in queer theory, animals, and the history of nationalism. Kit has developed a singular collection of oral histories of the pandemic for A Journal of the Plague Year, collected from a range of individuals with widely diverse experiences. That collection addresses significant silences surrounding the pandemic broadly and within JOTPY more narrowly. In this item Kit is interviewed by Angelica and Erin, both with Arizona State University, about Kits collection process.
• 
  April 19, 2020

  In Memory of Richard Sturges

  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.
• 
  2020-05-12

  The Fireside Video Chat

  Brooklyn high School of the Arts: "Our students are the best storytellers! Tune in this week to see "COVID-19 Fireside Chats". Stories from quarantine from Mr. Savage's US History class! Tonight, First Period! See the full video in the link below. You won't regret it!"
• 
  2020-04

  Saved

  The pandemic has not only been a devastating experience but a time of reflection.
• 2021-09-24

  How COVID-19 affected me and my family

  September 24th 2021. It was just another normal day in the new pandemic experience, most of my day was spent on Zoom doing online classes for about four hours of the day. Today was different because I had an orthodontist appointment to finally have my braces removed after about 2.5 years of them on. As almost everyone else, I was finally excited to have my braces taken off and actually see my new smile. So after my 2 classes my mom drove me to the orthodontist and left me in the office to go run other errands. After leaving to do so, I had gotten my braces remove in what was really fast time compared to what I had envisioned. So when I had finished up and scheduled a future appointment for my retainer fitting I called my mom to see when she was going to pick me up and no response. I left a message and then called my dad. Again no response. I texted him and he said, “(Name) come home by bus. Mom had to go” I didn’t think much of it so I took the bus home. After I got home I called out in the house and had no response so I walked in normally, taking off my shoes and sweater. I walked into my parents bedroom and seen my parents on the bed. My mom almost curled up teary eyed and tissues next to her. My dad sitting on the edge of the bed next to her holding the tissue box. Obviously with the circumstances of that time, my heart sunk thinking someone died. COVID-19 is known to be fairly hard on the geriatric population so when my grandma from my mothers side had gotten it the night before, we were all on edge. My mom didn’t say a word, so my dad took me outside the room and said something. I still to this day can’t recall what he was saying and I just walked away. To this day I’ve been afraid to ask of the specifics, all I know was that she was alone in the hospital because of the country she was in had strict hospital visitation policies. I still don’t know how to deal with these emotions because honestly she was the person I loved the most second to my mother. She helped raise me and made me into the man I am today. Thank You وداد
• 
  2020-03-24

  Mental Breakdown

  My sister, Heidi, passed away in Washington, DC, on March 23, 2020. I wasn’t allowed to be with her when she died. My sister was my best friend. I was so lost. Her children, Significant other, my mother, her best friend, and I couldn’t have a funeral for her because of the rules put into place for Covid. So, we could not have a memorial for her till and year and four months later. At the same time, everything began to shut down. My husband works for the NYPD; I was terrified of him getting sick and losing him. Every day after he left for work, I would fall on the floor and break down in tears. I live next to a nursing home facility on Beach 119th St. in Rockaway Park. At this time, I would stare out my windows to look at the ocean to try to calm myself. For weeks, I would see out the right side of my windows and the ambulances and medical examiner vans showing up non-stop to the nursing home for ten days. Bodies were being taken out morning, noon, and night. The flashing red lights signaled that my mental health was in danger. I felt myself crashing many times. I was devasted. To this day, I carry so much internal trauma, I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. I hate this world and the cruel people in it. People have become so ugly because of Covid. I doubt I’ll ever be able to escape the mental anguish that lives in my soul...
• 2020-03-13

  In the Blink of An Eye

  Maybe if quarantine lasts three weeks, we’ll have spring break before we go back to class, I wistfully think to myself. It’s already March 13th of 2020, but the air is still nippy and my mom still makes me wear that atrocious parka. She’s been hearing all these reports about the coronavirus, and I think it’s releasing her inner germaphobe. My school day finishes off like any other, except I have to stay behind for AP Biology review, like who has review two months before an exam? Following an hour full of practice problems, workbooks, and texting my friends under my desk, it’s finally time to go home. The talk of the school is if Xaverian plans on closing for quarantine, following the footsteps of nearly every other Catholic school in the city. But I don’t even take two steps out of my desk before my iPad pings with an email. One by one, we all find out that Xaverian will be closed for the foreseeable future, and that online learning will commence on Monday. I picture using this new interface, Zoom, for class. A feeling of exhilaration grows in my chest. I can already picture it: no uniforms, and no restrictions—just a newfound capacity for freedom. Our group parades towards the lockers, gossiping while packing up our books and putting on our coats. The moment doesn’t feel real; it feels like I’m floating, suspended in the joyful innocence of being a high school senior. With our navy and khaki skirts swishing around our legs, knees exposed to the frigid air, my three friends and I begin the trek home through Bay Ridge, blissfully ignorant to the fact that it would be the very last time we ever put those uniforms back on, or that it would be three months before we saw each other next. How naïve we were walking home that day, discussing how fun and convenient online learning would be. We chat about prom dress shopping, boys, and how funny it would be to take AP exams online—not realizing that prom would be canceled, and that we would take those exams online. It was my last day of normal, the last day before everything changed for good. Three months later, I graduated high school from my porch, wistfully smiling as I was handed a trophy for becoming the Salutatorian of Xaverian High School’s Class of 2020. The following week in June, I stand on those same steps in funeral clothes, wondering how everything changed in the blink of an eye. Not even seven days after graduation, my grandma passes away alone at Staten Island University Hospital, unable to be accompanied by her family because of COVID-19. It comes out of the blue; she feels fatigued and lethargic, but refuses to get medical attention until the very last moment because of possible exposure to the virus. By the time she arrives at the hospital, they admit her in stable condition, but she never makes it through the night. As of June 20th, 2020, 176,066 Americans are dead from the coronavirus. My grandma didn’t have it, but I can’t help counting her as the 176,067th life taken away by this disease. Because of COVID-19, she skipped her doctor’s appointments, and lived in complete isolation to avoid contracting the virus. Yet in the end, it is the virus that indirectly takes her away, preventing any of her loved ones from being present in her final moments. Nearly three years later since that last day of high school, on February 21st, 2023, I can reflect on how much my life has changed. COVID-19 went on to rob me of my first two years at Brooklyn College–I spent them cooped up in my bedroom on Zoom, not meeting my newfound friends until my junior year of college. COVID-19 influenced me in my choice to be a Health and Nutrition Science major, as I hope to learn more about preventing disease and use my knowledge to make me a better physician in the future. Millions have now died from COVID-19, and my version of “normal” has forever changed. Three years ago, the future seemed bleak and dire. I still wear a mask on the train, but now I see hope in the future because of our vaccine development and how normalized it’s become to talk about public health. I can only hope that as time goes on, humanity works together to regain a sense of normalcy.
• 2020-06-22

  Milestone Year

  To get to this story, I have to go back a few years first. I'm an immigrant from El Salvador. I came to the U.S. as a teenager in 1994, and never went back. I was in my 30s when I decided it was finally time to visit the grandmother I'd been missing for so long. I started to save and plan. Then she died. It took several years before I finally took my first trip back in November of 2019. I spent the time vacationing on the coast. I avoided my grandmother's house, my friends, and my family. I wasn't ready. But I decided that for my 40th birthday, in 2020, I'd return for a longer stay and visit my childhood home and all the friends and family left behind. Then there was a pandemic. The trip was cancelled, but it was the least of that year's problems. I lost my job and went back to school to start a new career. Our dog got cancer and died. My partner had a friend in El Salvador who died of COVID. I can never reschedule that same trip. Too much has changed. I'm planning to return this summer. This time with a firmer grasp on life's impermanence. I want to visit the white sand beaches at Playa Mango before it gets turned into a "surf city" tourist trap. I want to visit all the important cultural landmarks, especially those from which I can learn about my ancestors. More importantly, I will not avoid friends and family. On the contrary, I want to cherish the time I will have with them as if the next day isn't guaranteed. I plan to take dozens of photographs, portraits of everyone I see, I want to write down their stories in my journal, I want to record every visit, every meal, every experience possible in my journal. I plan to say "see you later," but not leave anything unsaid. Just in case.
• 
  2022-07-01

  Delay to The Bay

  My plans to visit San Francisco in 2020 came to a halt with the outbreak of the Coronavirus. As a high school teacher, I was looking forward to my long awaited-spring break. It had been quite some years since my last visit to the San Francisco, and I knew a trip to ‘The Bay’ was long overdue. I booked a flight, hotel, and waited patiently as the weeks went by. Spring was coming up and there were heavy concerns about COVID 19 spreading into North America. I was slightly concerned but figured I would be safe to make this trip. As news broke out about cases emerging in San Francisco, the nation went into hysteria. I was not skeptic about the hazard of Coronavirus, but selfishly planned to proceed with the trip. Then my father called me. My parents, both in their seventies were definitely at risk, especially my mother who struggled with health since my childhood. My father asked me kindly not to go to San Francisco. Without hesitation, I canceled my flight and hotel. I had booked everything online through a third party and was unable to receive any refund. Bummed out, I knew it was the right thing to do. Coronavirus spread, schools shut down and my spring break prolonged. At first I was spending time kayaking, but the weather in Phoenix got so hot I had to stay inside. The Phoenix summer of 2020 had record breaking heat with 55 consecutive days of 115 degrees plus Fahrenheit temperatures. I was miserable. With concerns of my mom’s health, social distancing, living alone and bored, I was very unhappy. The unjustifiable killing of George Floyd caused anger, and rightfully so, across the nation which contributed to more hysteria. The only positive that came from that hot summer were my experiments in the kitchen. I would then deliver tasty meals for my parents. This was the one thing that made me happy. Unfortunately, my mother did not survive past the summer of 2020. She passed away in her sleep peacefully due to an unrelated COVID cause. I was on an all time low. Sad, empty, missing my students, and missing normal daily life. We had no idea how many people would die and when things would normalize. It was truly scary. Fast forward to 2022 and things were much better. I figured surviving 2020 made me stronger and much happier. Vaccinated and boosted, I decided to pursue my trip to San Francisco. I made the best of this short trip. I went to a party outside the Chase Center for the NBA Finals, in which the Golden State Warriors played against the Boston Celtics. For the first time, I took a ferry to Alcatraz. In China Town, I saw locals dance with dragons, in which one bopped me in the face while I was taking photos! Caught by surprise, I did not take offense to this. Observing how the dragons behaved with mischief, I knew it was all for fun. This made me laugh. This was a much-needed trip indeed. 2020 affected everyone around the world. With global hysteria, people getting sick, people dying, racial injustice, everyone except pandemic deniers and those oblivious to political issues resonated with fear. Passing through time, my 2022 trip to San Francisco was a rebirth. A rebirth to normalization. A rebirth to my passion of exploring culture. A rebirth of sanity, and a rebirth of controlling fear. A rebirth to laughter. With dragons, noodles, basketball, and Ghirardelli, the delay to ‘The Bay’ will forever be a golden memory.
• 2020-09-02

  The Shaman in Francesco

  When I went to work at Ernst and Young, I thought partners were going to figure out in a New York minute that I didn’t belong there because I lacked the intellectual curiosity, problem-solving talent, communication ability, or any of these characteristics of a professional consultant. I was extremely anxious on my first day. When I entered the Orange County office with its oil paintings hanging in the entryway and its staircase connecting the floor on which consulting Partners had offices to the floor on which audit Partners resided, I knew I didn’t belong there. Then I met Francesco; he was a shaman bearing wise council. I felt at ease instantly. Francesco’s friendship and advice were just what the doctor ordered. On the first project I managed, Francesco worked for me as a member of the consulting team. The Partner we reported to did not like Francesco. He didn’t like his style of communication, his style of dress, nor his accent–Francesco was Chinese-Indonesian. I gave up my integrity by sharing in the Partner’s dislike of Francesco. But my opinion was dishonest. He had been my savior, after all. Role forward six years, and Francesco now works for a small consulting firm I own. Francesco is a loyal consultant in which I confide my innermost emotions. Unfortunately, my consulting firm went through a period of contraction that meant Francesco had to find employment elsewhere. Still, we met regularly to explore opportunities to grow my company so that Francesco and I could work on the same team again. As always, Francesco was a source of limitless ideas and friendship. Francesco passed away on September 2nd, 2020. He was taken from humanity at much too young of an age. He did not succumb to COVID. I don’t even remember how COVID affected me at the time because I was so distraught over Francesco’s passing. I didn’t lose a colleague. I lost a friend.
• 
  2022-12-17

  Been through it all

  I got married on April 4, 2020. We had planned 125 guests. I was so excited to celebrate with everyone. I remember hearing about covid in China in February and thinking that it was so far away I shouldn't worry. While my daughter was on Spring break everything started shutting down. At first it seemed temporary. Like it would just be a week or two. Just until things died down. Then local governments started getting strict as it became apparent how dangerous covid was. As the rules changed, I had to send apologetic emails disinviting guests due to limits on gatherings. We went from 125 to 100. Then it went to 75, 50, and 25. Each time it was agonizing figuring out who would be cut from our wedding. Finally it came down to just our parents, the pastor and his family, and the photographer. I got my wedding dress back from alterations the day the shop closed down to the public. We had the wedding in my parents' backyard. The pastor's children played guitar and sang. Our honeymoon was canceled a few days before the wedding because the small county in the mountains wasn't letting anyone in who wasn't local. We had a staycation for a honeymoon and played video games together.  We are a blended family. I often tell people we got married at the beginning of the pandemic. It was like "Congratulations on your new sister! You'll be with her 24/7 and never get away from her!" They quickly became sisters. They were each other's only playmate. At the same time they irritated each other just like normal siblings. It bonded them as sisters. It was hard for us when my step-daughter started kindergarten in the fall and my daughter started 2nd grade. We had alarms going off all day to try to manage their classroom google calls while my husband and I attempted to work from home. It was very stressful.  My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2020. At times they refused to allow my dad to accompany her to appointments. She was found crying in a hallway unable to get to the correct room. It was awful. I had to be so careful as my kids started hybrid school to not get her sick. It was hard to balance my kids' need for some stability and trying to be with my mom as much as possible. We made the decision to try for another child so my mom had the best chance at meeting her grandchild. I got to share my positive pregnancy test while visiting. It was such a happy moment in the midst of so much sadness. Adding to that stress was a difficult custody battle over my daughter. We couldn't have extra people at court to support me. My husband had to leave early to get the kids from school. Being left at the courthouse after testifying about how my ex abused me was one of the loneliest moments of my life. I had to take a Lyft ride back home and try not to break down in a stanger's car. My mother's condition got worse quickly. We were able to have a family reunion in June. I was nervous about so many people traveling in, but we needed to have mom see family again before something happened. My mom was admitted to the hospital at the beginning of July. I couldn't visit her because of being pregnant and the risk was too high to go to a hospital. My mom and dad supported this and wanted me to keep the baby safe. I had to record a goodbye message to play for her when she was awake. My mom passed on July 5th, 2021. Even at the funeral, I stayed in a separate room and had a friend read the eulogy remarks I prepared.  I had my youngest daughter in February 2022. We were limited on visitors, so only my husband and dad came to the hospital. So many day cares closed in the pandemic, we had a very difficult time finding child care. Despite getting on the list in early pregnancy, we couldn't start at day care until September. We had to use social media to find part time nannies and alter our work hours to cover child care until she could start day care. She actually just tested positive for covid yesterday after another child at daycare was positive earlier in the week. Thankfully she's vaccinated.  I've been through so much since the pandemic. I'm thankful for what I have, I crave rest. I'm worn out. I lost so much. No bridal shower. No honeymoon. No baby shower. No support for happy and sad moments. It's been really hard.
• 
  2022-07-20

  Graduating in A Pandemic

  Disclaimer: I understand that my story is not as unique or impactful as others. Many people's lives were ruined beyond repair. My derailment is quite insignificant when compared to the devastation of others. It is however, my story, and I have decided to share it anyway. Perhaps it will add to the narrative of why recent graduates are struggling the way they are. In May of 2021, I graduated from one of the top public universities in the United States with honors, distinction, a 4.0 GPA, and the outstanding senior award for my department. Despite the pandemic, there was still an expectation to do great things. All of my professors, friends, and family constantly told me what an exciting future I had ahead of me. The pandemic had other plans. All of the graduate programs I had decided to apply to were not accepting applicants due to the pandemic. They did not have the funding or ability to allow new graduate students to conduct research. Instead I tried to apply to jobs within my field, but because their buildings were closed to the public, they were letting people go, not hiring on. Without scholarship money or a well paying job, I could no longer afford my apartment. Many of my friends had moved back into their parents house and I thought to do the same. Unfortunately, like many other couples during the pandemic, the forced proximity had made my parents' house volatile. I could not move home, because my parents decided to move across the country and get a divorce. I tried to move in with my paternal grandparents, but my grandma was to ill. She ended up dying that summer. After a summer of floating around, living out of my car and random family members houses, I moved in with my maternal grandparents. At this point I felt miserable. It seemed like my entire life had fallen apart in the span of two months. I went from the top of my class, a bright future ahead of me to working minimum wage. Just as I was beginning to feel like I was back on solid ground after moving in with my maternal grandparents, my grandfather died too. I felt cursed. A year later, I am working an amazing job within my field, living in a condo with friends, and on track to receive a master's degree this winter. Things are finally looking up, but I don't know if I will ever fully emotionally recover from living through this pandemic.
• 
  2022-07-08

  Covid was the US leading cause of deaths for 45 to 54 year-olds in 2021

  This is a news story from Quartz by Annalisa Merelli. This news story says that within the deaths that occurred between March 2020 and October 2021, the middle-aged were disproportionately affected. In the 45 to 54 age group, COVID killed more than any other leading causes of death within that time period, including heard disease and cancer.
• 
  2022-07-02

  Taking Care of My Grandma During COVID

  This is a story of taking care of my grandma during COVID. A lot of the time I was employed as a caretaker for my grandma overlapped with the height of COVID.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Hospice and hospitals during a pandemic

  This is a photo of my grandfather's glasses and a blanket given to him by one of the hospice nurses. He passed in April of 2021, not due to Covid. There were still a lot of Covid restrictions put in place by the hospital, and the hospice center. Everyone had to be checked in at the front desk, temps were taken, questionnaires filled out, and the number of guests at a time was limited. He was moved to a hospice facility down the road from the hospital that he had been in. I was spending 10-12 hours a day with him at this time. He passed very late in the night and the next morning I went to pick up his remaining items. Most I gave to my dad, but I kept the blanket and his glasses. This, I believe, shows a broader picture of the pandemic in relation to healthcare during this time. Everyday healthcare still was taking place, it couldn’t just stop, but they had to adapt. I’ve heard stories from social media and directly from healthcare workers about being exhausted due to the pandemic and Covid guidelines. All I can say is that even after being tired and working through horrible conditions for over a year, every person I talked to for the week that he was there was kind and caring. Healthcare for the last two years has focused a lot of Covid healthcare, which makes sense, but this, in my mind at least, serves as a reminder of the continuous healthcare that has always been happening. I am so grateful for the team of professionals that helped and cared for him that last week.
• 
  2022-04-29

  Religion and COVID-19: Effects on Public Life

  At the start of the pandemic, I became hyper-aware of the changes happening around me, specifically regarding religion. Unfortunately, many of the changes I witnessed were regarding death. Death is a concept most often associated religiously, for example, someone's soul or spirit going to some otherworldy peaceful place, or reincarnation. On a personal level, there is a catholic church across the street from my house. I had a front-row seat to the trauma and sadness the pandemic brought forth. In recent years, the church was fairly lonely, with only large crowds during big holidays or religious events. During the pandemic, not once did I see the church unoccupied. Whether for a funeral service, blessed sacrament adoration, prayer, liturgy, or confession. The image of the coffin and funeral service serves the purpose of relating to this specific effect on a personal level. When my family lost a child during the pandemic, I experienced how even my non-religious family members or friends offered to join in prayer with my family. Not only the catholic community, as well as other religious communities sought to spread the importance of prayer to the public during the difficult times. With services becoming more widely accessible such as live-streamed on TV for the public. Overall I realized how the pandemic may have affected the public sphere by connecting more identities together, no matter race, religion, or gender.
• 
  2022-04-29

  Navigating through the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 (My Story) #Rel101

  In this story I share how life changed for all people. How the pandemic changed lives and how lots of people experienced loss in significant ways. In this contribution I shared a reflection on my experience at the start of the pandemic and how life is post the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
• 
  2022-04-26

  #REL101 COVID-19's Misery

  Wow, it’s crazy to think that COVID-19 has affected our entire world for a whole 2 years now. I remember when the pandemic had first started, and I was so lost and so confused as I had no idea what our world would come to. I remember being at work, I was working at a coffee shop at the time and my boss asking me if we should shut down or not. That day I came home from work with blistering hands from washing my hand so much because of the paranoia I was experiencing. The paranoia was not because of me or my feelings but it was because of the people that surrounded me and the way they had reacted to this illness that had spread so quickly across the globe. Life during the pandemic has been tough I lost my grandpa to COVID-19 in August of 2020, and it was one of the hardest and saddest time of my life. It was a huge shock and none of my family was expecting this at all, but it impacted us so heavily. Looking into power and how that has affected our world, I think immensely. With people in power not following rules and mask regulations because of the power trip they may have. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the world who didn’t have as much power to have to wear a mask when they were choosing not to. When it comes to religion, gatherings were impacted heavily, churches shut down and, on some occasions, churches decided to go online with their services. I don’t think it was fair for churches to have to shut down, but coffee shops could stay open, church and having that sense of belonging and purpose was stripped and taken away from so many people and so quickly. This was a crazy time and a time of so many unknowns and it sucks because we are still not done with this yet, there is still so much growth and rebuilding that needs to happen before we can fully be 100% okay again. Overall, COVID-19 has taught me a lot about our nation and how quickly things can get out of hand.
• 
  2021-09-30

  For Marc, Another Needless Covid Fatality

  I feel bad that my mom's boyfriend died back in September, but he was also an idiot who did it to himself. I have complicated feelings here and I hope they're worth sharing.
• 
  2022-03-07

  Memorial event Monday to honor nearly Arizona 28,000 lives lost to COVID-19

  This article is about the Covid Memorial event held at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe on March 7, 2022. The event was organized by the Arizona Historical Society, the nonprofit organization Marked By COVID and the COVID Memorial Quilt project. The Covid Memorial Quilt is on display until August, 2022 at the Arizona Heritage Center.
• 
  2022-03-08

  Pandemic victims mourned at Tempe event as advocates call for COVID-19 memorial day

  This article is about the Covid Memorial event held at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe on March 7, 2022. The event was organized by the Arizona Historical Society, the nonprofit organization Marked By COVID and the COVID Memorial Quilt project. The Covid Memorial Quilt is on display until August, 2022 at the Arizona Heritage Center.
• 
  2022-03-07

  Arizona to remember Covid-19 Dead at "Memorial Day" event.

  This article is about the Covid Memorial Quilt exhibit at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe. The Arizona Heritage Center is a museum of the Arizona Historical Society. This article describes the quilt and the memorial event held on Monday, March 7, 2022. The event was sponsored in part by the non-profit group Marked by Covid which honors those who have died of Covid 19. Almost 28,000 Arizonans have died of Covid as of March 7th.
• 
  2022-03-07

  Arizona to remember COVID-19 dead at 'Memorial Day' event,

  This article is about the Covid Memorial Quilt exhibit at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe. The Arizona Heritage Center is a museum of the Arizona Historical Society. This article describes the quilt and the memorial event held on Monday, March 7, 2022. The event was sponsored in part by the non-profit group Marked by Covid which honors those who have died of Covid 19. Almost 28,000 Arizonans have died of Covid as of March 7th.
• 
  2022-03-07

  COVID memorial event in Tempe features remembrance quilt for family, friends. AZ Family article

  This article is about the Covid Memorial Quilt exhibit at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe. The Arizona Heritage Center is a museum of the Arizona Historical Society. This article describes the quilt and the memorial event held on Monday, March 7, 2022.
• 
  2021-08-05

  How COVID Affected My Family

  COVID took a huge tole on my family. We were unable to have getting togethers for almost a year since my grandparents are older. This was hard for us because we have multiple get togethers in a year. Last August, both of my great grandparents tested positive with COVID. They both have many underlying health conditions that made their fight hard. My great grandma pulled through but my great grandpa did not. This was a very hard loss for my family because his passing was the first in our close family. The worst part about all of it was that they would not let any of us in the hospital to say goodbye. We had his funeral outside so all of my older relatives could attend and stay safe. COVID years were hard for my family and I am very glad we are finally on the other side of it.
• 
  2022-04-09

  Covid sped up my great grandmothers death

  My great grandmother was diagnosed with dementia and was living in a nursing home for a few years, she started to get worse when the pandemic started so but we weren't able to visit her due to covid-19. She began to become very depressed due to the lack of visits and her son (my grandfather) had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in June and was given up to 6 months to live. My grand father died on October 19th of 2020, my great grandmother caught covid while in her nursing home and on November 20th 2020 my great grandmother died from covid-19. Even though she was dying of dementia, covid sped up the process and caused her to die alone in a nursing home. I couldn't even burry her like she would have wanted because the nursing home had her cremated for contamination purposes. I would give anything to be able to hold her hand as she passed and give her a proper funeral that she would have wanted but covid compromised this.
• 
  2022-03-23

  South Korea's total COVID-19 cases top 10 million as crematoria, funeral homes overwhelmed

  This is a story by Channel News Asia about the ongoing issues with funeral homes in South Korea. This article says that in Seoul, 28 crematoria are operating at 114.2% capacity, while other crematoria around the country are operating at 83%. For the past two week, the number of critically ill patients has been hovering above 1,000; but it could get to 2,000 by early April. To combat this, the federal government has approved the use of Merck & Co's COVID-19 treatment pill. The pill is branded as Lageviro and is the second antiviral to be authorized in South Korea after Pfizer's Paxlovid. This pill, however, is only approved for adults 18 and above. The government is hoping that actions such as these will help limit the crowdedness in funeral homes and hospitals.
• 2022-03-27

  Sometimes I forget my aunt died of COVID-19.

  Although my aunt was not a significant part of my life since about 2007, she was still family. During the midst of the large outbreak in the summer of 2020 my dad texted me that she was in the hospital, then was released, and then was found deceased in her home a few days later. At this time, it was hard to have a body “processed” quickly, for lack of better words, through morgues and funeral homes. Additionally, having a funeral service was not advised because of either lockdown, funeral homes limiting attendance, or these homes even not performing services. On top of that, many people would have been hesitant to attend. My dad and his siblings decided to not have a service. I have heard many other similar stories. Perhaps this became a pandemic funerary custom to some; life went on and no occasion was marked. Even though we were not super close, and I was not despondent, this would have been a way to process and mark a death for me. For others, a time to process grief. To summarize, she died of COVID-19. I could not visit her in the hospital, and we did not have a funeral service or a burial. I feel that because of the pandemic my family did not go through the traditions and customs that help people process and accept death. I am not sure how my parents and sister feel. I have mistakenly wondered what my aunt was up to, temporarily forgetting her death. Even though we weren't the closest I would have had a memory marker achieved through tradition and grieving/funerary customs that would have given others the peace needed.
• 
  2022-03-23

  First Covid Related Death in American Samoa

  On March 23, 2022, American Samoa reported its first Covid Death. This article was released on Talanei News with the Governor sending his sincere condolences to the man's family. With the surging number of cases in American Samoa from 555 last month to 2000 plus recently, the Governor went live on the local news when the first covid related death was reported to express his sympathies and to the public never to lose hope and to keep fighting against the disease. After two years, American Samoa had just experienced its first covid related death, making everyone worried that more deaths would come. And sadly, I think there will be. I have seen how COVID deaths have increased globally for the past two years, and as much as I do not want to think about it, I know it will be bound to happen. And just like me, the American Samoa public worries that since it is a tiny island, COVID-related deaths will spread quickly. When I saw this article on Talanei News, I immediately began to worry. I felt like I also lost a family member thinking about my parents. Experiencing death is never easy, and COVID has brought a lot of sadness. This article gave me fear, worries, and sadness altogether. This is why this article is essential to me as it informed important information about home during the drastic times of COVID and death.
• 
  2021-04-21

  Grieving a non-covid death

  My grandfather on my dad’s side passed in April 2021. It’s coming close to a year mark at my time of writing this. I think that being in a time surrounded by so much death and loss that we have forgotten about those who have died during this time unrelated to Covid. He had suffered kidney failure in late 2013/early 2014, that part of my life is blurry in memory so I don’t recall exactly, but he had been on dialysis ever since. It’s been hard to talk about his passing, everyone assumes that death in the last two years always has to do with Covid. Death is never easy to talk about, but it is inevitable for every living creature. My grandfather was old and had been sick for a long time, he lived a long and happy life. I don’t mean that in some cheesy way, he truly did. I carry a tremendous amount of guilt surrounding his death. Due to Covid restrictions, I didn’t get to see him for a year leading up to the week that I spent with him while he was in the hospital, then hospice. I still think about him all the time and the last days that I got to spend with him. I don't think I'll ever get to have that closure I want due to this. It’s almost as if we had expected death due to illness, accident, age, anything else, expected to stop. Yet, death of all causes never stops.
• 
  2022-03-07

  Sam Beeson Oral History, 2022/03/07

  I spoke to Sam at the Arizona Historical Society's 2nd annual Covid Remembrance Event. Sam was with his son, Alex. Alex did not wish to be interviewed but he gave permission to have his health information included in the interview. He was present during the interview. Sam describes his family life during the initial lockdown, how he kept working at the hospital but his wife and son stayed home. Sam called himself the "hunter gatherer" during that time as he was the one getting groceries and running errands. He describes how he got the first dose of his vaccine but also got infected with COVID at the same time. His symptoms were mild, but his son and wife had different experience. Sam describes losing his wife to Covid. He also describes how he has dealt with his grief and anger by joining a support group and Marked By Covid group. He shares his story as a way to honor his wife.
• 
  2022-03-07

  Rose Oral History, 2022/03/08

  At the Arizona Historical Society's 2nd annual Covid Memorial event, I spoke with Rose and recorded her story about losing her brother, John, to Covid. Rose describes the challenges she faced being far away from her brother as he was diagnosed and then ill. She currently has her brother's dog, Emma, and is trying to re-home her according to her brother's wishes. Rose describes how her last communication with her brother was a text for help. After the recording was turned off and we were walking out, she described how she felt when she was parked and walking to the hospital to say goodbye to her brother she saw anti-mask protestors at Central and Thomas Road. She was so sad and angry that these people were arguing against something that might save lives. She said that she couldn't argue with them and just wished them good health and walked away.
• 
  2021-02-09

  A loss within a loss

  My grandma, a 95-year-old woman, had a decline in her health. She had to go to the hospital multiple times, and we were all told that her muscles were deteriorating. The first time she was in the hospital for a couple of weeks this past year she wasn’t able to walk so she was recommended to go to a nursing home to receive rehab. She was in the nursing home where my mom worked, she was the only one actually able to visit her. I went and visited through the window so that I could at least see her and talk to her as I didn’t know how many more times, we would be able to talk. I would call her every other day just to talk and see how she was feeling. She then went to the hospital again because she was having issues breathing on her own. We found out that she had fluid in her lungs which caused her breathing problems. We were then told that she wouldn’t make it through the night, so we went and visited her to make sure we said our goodbyes without actually saying the word goodbye. She said “I’m not ready to leave” to my mom which she proved to be true. She ended up feeling a lot better after the oxygen started working. She still needed a lot of care to help her survive. We then found out that she had covid and that she wouldn’t make it through because of the already preexisting circumstances. Her old age and her body falling apart really didn’t help her to fight off something so bad. She lost her ability to eat anything. She couldn’t swallow at all, so she lost a bunch of weight. We were then told again that she wouldn’t make it through the night, so we rushed there to see her because we believed this to be true this time. We went into the hospital with a priest and some family members with only three people allowed in the room we had to alternate. We also had masks on and then told we had to put on gloves, and an isolation gown. I left after an hour because it hurt too bad to see her suffering with two forms of oxygen on and barely being able to talk. My mom and uncle stayed till they told them visiting hours were over. The next morning my mom gets a call saying that she had passed, and she came into my brother and I’s rooms in tears to tell us. On February 9th, 2021, at 8:03, my grandma passed away.