More Than 11 Million Americans Have Been Diagnosed with COVID-19, Including One Million in the Past Week Alone
Just Days Before Thanksgiving, Families Mourning the Loss of a Loved One Remark on the #EmptyChair at Their Table
NEW YORK – In response to news that 250,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19, the non-partisan grassroots survivor network, COVID Survivors for Change, released the following statements:
“In April, I lost my father to COVID-19,” said Carol Lewis, a COVID Survivors for Change member in Conyers, Georgia whose father, a veteran of the Korean War, died of COVID-19 at age 86. “Months later, it breaks my heart that so many families are still being traumatized by the pandemic. While my heart will break to stare at dad’s #emptychair at our Thanksgiving table, I’m hopeful that Georgians will honor his life and the countless number of lives lost to the virus in Georgia by electing leaders that care about the health of our communities during the runoff election in January.”
“For our family, the holidays will be one more reminder of the #emptychair at our table because of COVID-19,” said Amber Carter, a COVID Survivors for Change member from Lawton, Oklahoma whose 13-year-old daughter, Anna, died from COVID-19. “I’m devastated that we’ve hit this terrible milestone. The 250,000 Americans killed are more than a number – they’re our parents, spouses, siblings and children. I wouldn’t wish my pain on anyone.”
“This devastating virus has left an unimaginable mark on millions of families across the nation,” said Chris Kocher, executive director of COVID Survivors for Change. “With the promise of a vaccine on the horizon, we’re getting so much closer to a world in which we can hug our loved ones again without fear. But first, our loved ones must survive this winter. In honor of every family impacted by COVID-19, we urge Americans to be responsible and cautious this holiday season. So much of this heartbreak is preventable.”
About COVID Survivors for Change
COVID Survivors for Change is a national, non-partisan movement bringing together Americans who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, as well as those who have survived the virus and those whose lives have been dramatically altered by the pandemic. As part of COVID Survivors for Change, Americans are mobilizing to make sure that communities have the funding, resources and leadership in place to address future public health emergencies. Survivors will also find community and healing in meeting other people whose lives have been forever changed by the pandemic. For more information, please visit: covidsurvivorsforchange.org.
###