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Two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic first took hold of North Texas. Since then, more than 14,200 North Texans have died from the virus, with more than 900,000 deaths across the U.S. This immense loss has led to a second pandemic, one of grief, the effects of which have yet to be fully realized. In this series, The Dallas Morning News reflects on the impact such loss has had on individual families, and how they are coping with grief, and how they might find a way forward.
The Dallas Morning News pays tribute to those lost to COVID-19
Exhilaration, relief, joy.
That’s how many of us felt last week when finally, after nearly two years of navigating life in a pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that most of us can strip away the masks safely under certain guidelines.
The news comes after more than 5.4 million people across our state have tested positive, and after more than 83,000 Texans have died from the virus. More than 14.200 have died from complications in North Texas alone.
To us, to our loved one, to our community, their deaths have left us suffering.
Read Executive Editor Katrice Hardy’s column here.
In remembrance of those lost to COVID-19
As we approach the two-year anniversary of coronavirus’ emergence in Dallas-Fort Worth, we at The Dallas Morning News want to pay tribute to those lost to COVID-19 by creating a virtual Memorial Wall.
We invite readers to share for free their photos, videos and memories of their loved ones. The Memorial Wall will stay live for a year. While it’s hard to fathom such loss, we believe that the power of memory can bring us together as a community in these difficult times.
Add to the Memorial Wall here. You can also visit moments.dallasnews.com
Two years of COVID-19 have created a second silent pandemic – one of grief
After four surges of multiple variants of COVID-19, the pandemic appears to be ebbing. Mask mandates are now lifted for many of us and life is moving on. But for those left behind by the victims of COVID, any sense of normal – any semblance of pre-pandemic life – is still a long time away.
A second, silent pandemic of grief has gripped many in Texas and beyond who have lost loved ones.
If we try to return to life as we knew it without confronting the trauma inflicted by such loss, we risk detrimental effects to our mental, emotional and physical health, experts warn.
Read the story here.
North Texas non-profits provide support for families facing COVID-19 losses
Everyone grieves death differently. Some people need space, while others need to be embraced by those around them. Some people need both.
Navigating the responsibilities following a loved one’s death – like getting the loved one’s affairs in order – often leaves little room to address intense emotions. And even though some may expect life to return to normal after a few weeks or months, those intense feelings don’t just cease to exist.
Carson’s Village and The WARM Place are two of many local organizations dedicated to grief support in North Texas, providing resources that have never been more important than right now.
Read the story here.
“A boat at sea with no sail”: A Dallas woman finds her way after COVID-19 took everything from her
Dallas-native Kornitki Sledge lost both her mother and grandmother to the coronavirus in a matter of weeks, thrusting her into the role of emotional caretaker for her entire family.
She’s put on a tough exterior for her relatives while internally she feels like “a boat at sea with no sail.”
Read the story here.
An Everman police officer died from COVID-19; then his family learned how much he meant to the town
COVID-19 protocols prevented Alex Arango’s family from saying goodbye. Alex died from the virus in the hospital without his favorite people in the world at his side.
“I think that one thing that still kills me is knowing that I didn’t get to say goodbye,” said Anita Arango, Alex’s wife of nearly 44 years. “That is something that tears at me, that I didn’t get to tell him that it was OK. That I would be OK.”
Read the story here.
“Fighting to the end”: Patrick Bailey battled cancer but lost to COVID-19
Some might say that Patrick Willis Anthony Bailey was a lucky man. More than once, he had tempted fate, and more than once, he had whipped it. Patrick was a gay man married to his partner. His sisters say he marveled at having escaped a previous killer virus known as AIDS.
Even more impressive was Patrick bravely beating cancer. In early 2020, he had gotten a bone marrow transplant to ward off non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It worked. But Patrick ran out of luck once he contracted COVID-19.
Read the story here.
A family waits to memorialize a military man fallen to COVID-19
As a highly decorated colonel in the U.S. Army, Sidney Achee lived a regimented lifestyle. He exercised three times a week at the age of 99 and was one of the first people to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available.
That’s why it was so shocking to his son, Robert, when the virus took Sid’s life in a matter of days.
Read the story here.
Patricia Muñoz, an American Airlines employee who helped others during disaster, succumbed to COVID
Every year, Christmas Eve used to be a joyous occasion filled with family, food, laughter and Christmas carols at Patricia Muñoz’s home in Fort Worth. But COVID took away her life in December 2020.
With funeral homes at capacity, her family resorted to having a home funeral. That Christmas Eve, instead of singing Jingle Bells or Silent Night, her two daughters found solace by singing Cielito Lindo, a heartfelt farewell to their 60-year-old mother, one of the victims of the pandemic.
Read the story here.
Making amends: COVID-19 took Brent Earles, but not before a reconciliation
Brent Earles lost his daughter on New Year’s Eve in 2010. He never truly recovered, his wife and son said. Exactly 11 years later he was admitted to the hospital for complications from COVID-19.
During the 26 days he was at the hospital before he passed, he and his family finally confronted the damage caused by the death more than a decade prior.
“It was the best three weeks together,” said his wife Jane.
Read the story here.
“A kind heart”: Debra Bell, who helped the less fortunate, never forgot her roots
Debra Bell was 67 when she died in September 2020 from COVID-19. Her daughter, Torsha Haynes, 50, said her mom suffered from high blood pressure but was otherwise healthy. Something her mom never suffered from was bitterness.
“What I miss most about her is her smile,” Torsha said, tearfully.
Read the story here.
She lost her longtime love of more than 70 years to COVID-19
Bonnie Lightfoot, 89, and his wife Donnie, 88, had been married for about 70 years when Bonnie died of complications from COVID-19 in December 2020. They raised four kids together and doted on a gaggle of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“We were grade school friends and sweethearts in high school and we had a good life together,” Donnie said.
Read the story here.
Grieving the death of a loved one to COVID-19? Here is a list of North Texas support resources
Grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19 can be a confusing and, at times, lonely process. Finding support during the mourning process is critical, and several state and local organizations create safe spaces for people to process a death.