Texas

My son Alec Whitton fought Covid-19 for 6 weeks in the hospital before passing one week after his 24th Birthday. Alec was a kind soul that was a friend to everyone. He was a healthy young man that loved hunting camping and the great out doors. He was a Son, Brother, Grandson and Nephew most of all a child of God. Taken to early in life and is missed every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

I am a physician who worked on the frontlines in Kansas. My family is Native American, but we did not realize until it was too late that we were especially vulnerable. In July, during the COVID surge, my niece and two brothers tested positive for COVID. My brother, Cisco, spent almost a month in the hospital. Sadly, we lost my brother Robert, at age 55. He was vibrant, vital and full of life. He had just started a new job as a supervisor working for the US Census.

In April 2020, I became very stressed with my hospital job, with people in Kansas not taking COVID seriously, with my daughter being in remote learning. I removed myself from the sibling group text, and forgot to put myself back on. I will regret that forever. I put myself back on July 20, the day they all got their positive COVID results, but I had not known about the 5 days of symptoms prior to those test results. I was able to reach Cisco’s doctor and advise him to put Cisco on remdesivir and dexamethasone, giving exact dosages, etc. The doctors in Texas were dealing with their first surge; I feel certain this helped us (barely) get our positive outcome. Roberto was in a different hospital, different doctors. He went in the hospital two days before he died, was discharged on day later, and then died the following day on the way back to the hospital. For me, the pandemic will always be that 15 minute zoom funeral. I never got to speak to Roberto again. My heart breaks every day about my decision to get off the sibling group text.

My mother, Dora Moreno, was diagnosed on June 10, 2020 after not feeling well. She was placed in on ventilator 5 days later in ICU with no contact with only medical staff, only if possible Zoom sessions. She spent 38 in total. We were told her body suffered too much damage, and on June 18, she came home to pass in peace due to Covid-19. Mom, we love, miss you every second of every day.

On June 13, my husband, Andres Arguelles, and I were exposed to the virus and tested positive a week later. My husband developed pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital on June 26. He spent 4 days on a CPAP machine before he had to be intubated. June 30 he was put on a ventilator and placed on a medically induced coma. He fought long and hard, every time the doctors would tell me that he was declining and there was nothing more that they could do he would always do something to show them he was still fighting. The virus finally took a toll on his body and he couldn’t fight anymore. He passed away the morning of July 23rd at 45 years old. At 38-years-old, I am now a widow facing this cruel and unfair world without my sweetheart, the love of my life, my best friend, my entire universe. My stepsons miss their dad everyday, my mother and father-in-law miss their baby boy who loved and took such good care of them. His brothers and sisters miss their baby brother, the life of the party and joker who played tricks on everyone but was also the glue that kept the family together because family was so important to him. He is not just a number, he was a man that was loved by so many people, a truck driver that loved making friends in every truck stop, a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan that loved fishing ever chance he had. Covid-19 took his life but nothing will ever erase all his acts of kindness and all of us that love him will never allow his memory to fade away.

My husband, Dan, died at home of Covid-19 on July 3. We have 3 young adult sons and one of them, me, and Dan, all got Covid-19. We aren’t sure where we got it from, but we had all returned to work because we were considered ‘essential workers’ in various capacities. My husband had a fever and was coughing, but was not short of breath (or so he said) and kept telling me that he was fine and didn’t want to go to the hospital. After about 7 days of running a fever, I made him promise me that if he didn’t feel better the next morning, that we would do a video chat with a doctor to see if he needed to go to the hospital. He agreed to do that. I was sleeping on the living room sofa so that Dan could get some sleep. I had checked on him before I went to sleep at 10:30pm, then I woke up at 3:00 am to go check on him again and he was unresponsive. I’ll really never know exactly what happened, but he did test positive for Covid-19. He really have no underlying conditions that we are aware of….but who knows? Many people have underlying conditions that they aren’t aware of. He was 63.

My father was 76 years old. I loved him dearly. He was a great husband, father, pops and great grandfather. Served in law enforcement his entire life. Made us so proud. Got Covid-19 from someone who was positive and didn’t wear a mask. Admitted into the hospital with pneumonia and Covid-19 positive and was brought home in July 17 on comfort care. He passed with family by his side on July 19th. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him and wish he was hear. Miss you forever and always pops.

My beloved husband, Johnson Stephen Cowan, was loved by everyone, and he loved everyone back. He was the light of neighborhood and of my life. He had no pre-existing conditions. He was in a battle in ICU for 35 days. To say our lives have been impacted is an understatement. We were robbed of each other and life.

My father at 51 contracted Covid-19, he was accepted into an ECMO program that brought our family so much hope as the remainder of his organs (except lungs) were still functioning. My father fought with every ounce of his being for nearly 3 months. We lost him on January 20th, 2021. He was an artist, an amazing singer and loving grandfather. We miss him everyday.

He was diagnosed with Pneumonia but his test results were negative. He was sent home with a prescription for his medication. Taking his medication as indicated his breathing got worse. Sunday morning June 28th and I drove him back to the ER. I gave him a kiss on his forehead and he cried, I will never forget those tears. I now ask myself why did I leave him behind? That was the last day I saw him, June 28th. Sadly he passed away July 10th, 2020 exactly a week away from his 58th birthday. Since I was COVID-19 positive, I was not allowed in the hospital and I was not allowed at the funeral home so my only alternative was to have him cremated. His unexpected death has changed my life tremendously. I miss him so much.