For Those We Lost

Episode 51. Jennifer in OregonSince this is the last episode of season 2 and I am putting this podcast in a hiatus (possibly permanently) I wanted to tell my mom's story. Today we will be talking about my mom, Bobbie Lee, and she passed away on August 24, 2020. My mom had Alzheimer's from a Traumatic Brain Injury and she'd been in a memory care since October 2018. She was a feisty lady and general good health, despite the Alzheimer's, when her memory care was shut down to visitors due to COVID. My mom got COVID in August 2020 in an outbreak at her memory care. It was brought in by an employee, which was one of my worst fears. She was moved to a COVID nursing home where she died about 10 days later. This podcast has been in honor of her memory, the family members of every person I've interviewed and everyone who has died of COVID, complications, Long COVID, etc. Yellow Heart Memorial Rami's Heart COVID-19 MemorialInAmerica: FlagsFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, I recorded this episode on June 30, 2023.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 50. Elena and Yvette in TexasIn this episode, I will be talking with Yvette and Elena. They lost their mother, Aurora Poblano, to COVID on January 23, 2021. Their mother Aurora lived in Pasadena, Texas with Elena. Yvette reached out to me over a year ago, but they've waited to talk about their mom until they could do it together.One important thing to know is that their mom was diagnosed with Cerebellar Degeneration when she was 35 years old. It is a genetic disorder that is inherited and if I remember correctly, at least three of her children also have this disease. I've linked to some information about this in the show notes.Elena and Yvette's mom had a special relationship with each one of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Elena wanted me to add that her daughter Yadira and her son Javier would take turns taking their grandma to JC Penney which as her favorite store to shop, and then they would go and have breakfast at I-Hop. This was one of her favorite outings. Yvette volunteers with the Yellow Heart Memorial and she is the founder of the San Bernadino installation of the Yellow Heart Memorial. Elena is a volunteer for the Wall of COVID and Rose River memorial installation held in February of this year in Houston and they both have submitted their mom's name to the the Rami's Heart COVID 19 memorial and the Willow trees memorial. Cerebellar DegenerationRami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on May 4, 2023.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 49. Angee in MissouriIn this episode, I will be talking with Angee in Missouri. Angee lost her mom, Gloria, to Covid on February 17, 2021. Angee not only feels the grief of losing her mom, but she also deeply feels the guilt of knowing that she brought the virus home to her mom. We talk a lot about grief and guilt and healing in this episode. Angee mentions the Yellow Heart Memorial and how connecting with others has helped her. We also talk briefly about the book, Option B, by Sheryl Sandberg. Finally, there is a bit of an up and down audio sound when Angee is speaking sometimes. I've done my best to try to edit it to be more even. Yellow Heart Memorial Option B book by Sheryl Sandberg For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on March 2, 2023.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 48. Brian in IllinoisI recorded this episode with Brian in Illinois in April 2022 and it was originally supposed to be episode 28. But Brian didn't send me any photos of his mom or him and I put this show on hold. With this podcast headed into a hiatus (more on that below), I decided to air this show and I went through Brian's YouTube channel and pulled some still images from his videos and he did send me some beautiful photos a couple of weeks ago. Brian lost his mom in June of 2021 to complications from COVID. She'd had a number of serious medical emergencies in the last ten years and when she got COVID in February of 2021, though she recovered and came home in April, the overall damage was done and she just didn't get better.  Brian has autism and PTSD and he and his mother lived together for many, many years. They were literally each other's support system. When they got COVID, they both got incredibly ill very quickly and they could not help each other. Brian and his mom were alone for three days before he called 911. Brian also has Long COVID and we spend part of this interview talking about his symptoms and his long term health challenges. Now about the hiatus. My work has picked up a lot and I've found I have less time to work on podcast episodes and everything that goes into producing them. For that reason, I have decided to end season 2 sometime in June and I'm not currently recording any stories. If my work stays this busy, I don't know if there will be a season 3, but for right now, I'll say that I'd like to do a limited season 3 later in the fall. I appreciate everyone who has been a part of this show, who's followed the podcast online on social media and who's listened. It means so much to me and it's been a huge part of my own personal grief and healing journey.  People's Resource Center Brian's  YouTube channel - Artzaganza Brian's GoFundMeFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on April 23, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

In this episode, I will be talking with Jessica in New Jersey. Jessica lost her dad, Xavier, to Covid on January 18, 2021. When she reached out to me, Jessica told me that she had not really talked about her dad and told his story in detail like this. She said she'd put it in a box but now she was ready to share. Jessica tells her dad's story and also talks about how she is healing and the things she misses the most about him. She mentions Hannah's Faces of COVID Victims drawings and the Rami's Heart Covid-19 Memorial.Hannah's Faces of COVID Rami's Heart COVID-19 MemorialFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on February 18, 2023.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 46. Patty in ConnecticutIn this episode, I will be talking with Patty in Connecticut. Patty lost her husband, Frank, to Covid on April 22, 2020. He was 52 years old when he died and their wedding anniversary was just a few days after he passed away. In this show Patty talks about her regrets and how much she struggled with not being able to be in the hospital with her husband. She also talks about how she and her children honor Frank by telling his story and keeping his memory alive through the Yellow Heart Memorial and Rami's Heart COVID-19 memorial.Yellow Heart Memorial Rami's Heart COVID-19 memorial Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 45. Christina in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Christina in California. Christina lost her dad, Raul, her brother, Raul Jr and her sister, Margie, to COVID all in January 2021. Christina was a nurse at the hospital where her family was and so she was able to see her family members and check in on them at a time when most family was not allowed in the hospitals. She recognizes the blessing this was, but also talks about the things that haunt her. Christina shares about the many memorials in the COVID community she's participated in and I've linked them below. Finally, there is a metallic sound you can hear near the beginning of the show, just an as fyi. And throughout this episode Christina does talk about detailed medical procedures. This may be triggering for some. Information on Valley FeverCOVID-19 Loss Support for Family & FriendsEnchanted Tea Room Yellow Heart Memorial Long Beach Yellow Heart Memorial InAmerica Flags in Washington DC  Rami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial  - Christina's family members are all in heart #6Faces of COVID Victims For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on February 4, 2023.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 44. Lauren in New YorkIn this episode, I will be talking with Lauren in New York. Lauren lost her dad, Anthony Granchelli to COVID on January 19, 2022. Lauren was on almost every call from the hospital while her dad was there and requested his medical records, which she had with her during this recording. In this episode she goes through the day-to-day of her dad's hospitalization. She also talks about her grief and how she is experiencing her Covid loss in 2022 versus how many people describe feeling early in the pandemic.Finally, at about minute 60 of this episode we talk in detail about end of life and the effects of a long term hospitalization. This could be triggering for some. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 19, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 43. Keesha in GeorgiaIn this episode, I will be talking with Keesha in Georgia. Keesha lost her mom, Rita Delores Coleman, to COVID on January 13, 2022. Keesha weaves such a beautiful tribute to her mom in this show, talking about her family, her grief, and what a fighter her mom was. This is the longest episode I've recorded so far, but it's so worth the listen. Keesha talks about the dynamics of a family getting COVID, her truest feelings about that because it was a family member who brought it into her home and to her mom, and then Keesha talks about the way she grieved by trying to run from the pain until she realized she couldn't run anymore. Keesha's podcast, From Crying Out Loud The movie, John Q Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast and live show For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 12, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 42. Shelly in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Shelly in California. Shelly lost her husband, Ronnie, to COVID on July 3, 2020. Shelly shares so much in this show about how she and Ronnie met and the life they were building together. Shelly and Ronnie had two dogs that were especially important to them and in this episode, if you listen you can hear one of them snoring in the background for part of the show. If you have headphones on, you'll probably hear it even more. I didn't even try to edit it out because Shelly talks about the dogs and how important they are to her now that Ronnie is gone. After I finished editing this episode, I learned that the dog snoring in this show, Bentley, passed away. Please visit Shelly's Instagram account to see the beautiful tribute she wrote to him and her husband. Shelly's IG account Yellow Heart Memorial Orange Country Museum of Art - Rose River memorial installation Pacific Marine Animal Rescue For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 26, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 41. Casey in KansasIn this episode, I will be talking with Casey in Kansas. Casey lost her husband, David, to COVID on December 26, 2021. David left behind his wife and their six children. In this episode, she talks about her strong intuitive sense that something would happen to Dave and she talks about how she and her kids are coping. Dave had also recently lost his dad and his brother and was in the midst of deep grief himself when he got COVID. Casey is a documenter, and as she she shared so much while Dave was in the hospital and continues to share the memories that come up on her Facebook now that he is gone. Casey's Instagram is a great place to go if you want to get a sense of what they went through (and are still going through) as a family. Also, the link for the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking is below.  Casey's InstagramTerrible, Thanks for Asking podcastFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 7, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 40. Alysia and Robert in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Alysia and her dad, Robert in California. Alysia reached out to me about losing her mom, Sarah, to COVID on November 3, 2021. Alysia is one of 10 children ranging in age from about 3 to 21. Throughout our phone conversations she always had her dad, Robert, on the line. When I asked him if he wanted to be on the show with Alysia, he said no that he would be too sad. So it was pretty wonderful that during this recording session, Robert joins in the conversation and talks about his grief at losing his wife and how his family is healing. Some of Roberts answers were a little quiet, so I did my best with the audio.For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on  August 26, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 39. Naj in San FranciscoIn this episode, I will be talking with Naj in San Francisco. Naj lost her grandmother, Rosemary Williams, on July 29, 2020. Rosemary was one of about 13 brothers and sisters and she was the last living sibling. She and her husband moved to San Francisco from Louisiana and started their married life together. They bought a house and lived in the same community for well over 50 years. Rosemary was the center of Naj's large family circle and losing her left a hole, not only in Naj's family, but in her community, too. Two nonprofits she mentions:Transformational Miracles Stand in PeaceFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on  August 12, 2022. And the day before August 11, was Naj's grandmother's birthday. She would have been 101 years old.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 38. Summer in South CarolinaIn this episode, I will be talking with Summer in South Carolina. This is a powerful episode about not only COVID loss, but long COVID. Summer's husband, Robert, was in the COVID ICU for 81 days and then he was released to a rehab facility and came home in October 2020. And he was home for almost 18 months. But Robert, and Summer, struggled through his long COVID. They saw specialists and doctors who all told them to "wait and see" and so they did. Robert died on March 22, 2022 in their home of a massive heart attack brought on by complications of Long COVID. As Summer says, God gave her husband back to her only to lose him. She has become an advocate for Long Haulers and offers help and support to everyone struggling with Long Haul in the medical system. Summer advocates for Long Haul with Covid Survivors for Change. She is part of the Yellow Heart Memorial  LongHaul advocacy and she is a powerful storyteller. Her husband told her to keep telling his story and she has. They have been features on Fox News, ABC news and many other news outlets. Many of those links are in the show notes below. Lastly, we do talk about detailed medical procedures and suicide is mentioned in this episode. Know that this may be triggering for some.Covid Survivors for Change Yellow Heart Memorial And here are links to just a few of the online news stories about Summer and her husband, Robert. https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/03/25/upstate-frontline-worker-passes-away-after-after-massive-heart-attack/https://people.com/politics/covid-19-survivors-sign-letter-donald-trump-for-failed-leadership/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/19/us/young-parents-covid-deaths/index.htmlFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on  August 17, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 37. Melanese in MarylandIn this episode, I talk with Melanese in Maryland. Melanese lost her husband Charles Thomas, Jr. on February 28, 2021. He was admitted to the hospital with COVID in December 2020 and was there for about a week  and then was released and came home. Melanese talks about his health struggles afterward and how her husband tried to push through, but he struggled with long COVID symptoms and collapsed and died in their home. Melanese has suffered a lot of significant losses in her life, but even with all that she found that the death of her husband was the rawest most emotional grief journey she has undertaken. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 15, 2022.Here are the links for this episode: COVID Survivors for ChangeThe Young Widows and Widowers of COVID-19 Facebook groupInAmerica Flags installationMelanese's Facebook page where you can contact her about her grief www.melanesemarr.comSupport the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

In this episode, I will be talking with Mandy in Oregon. Mandy lost her dad, Brad Shroyer, on August 15, 2020. Her dad brought his tablet, his phone and chargers to the hospital with him and a wonderful nurse at the hospital helped him keep everything charged and online. Because of this Mandy and her mom were able to be on camera with her dad 24 hours a day for the entire length of his hospital stay. Mandy struggled with the weight of her grief and anger after her dad died and she created a logo to help channel her healing. It's called Grief in Motion and has the words, empower, kindness, compassion, humanity and love around the logo, but Mandy talks about compassion most of all and how that motivated her to reach out to others who have lost someone to COVID. She does this by posting every day on some online group to give support and comfort to people suffering. Here are the links Mandy mentions in the show. Rami's Heart COVID 19 memorial InAmerica Flags installation COVID Facebook group for friends and family Mandy mentions a newspaper article published in the Roseburg, Oregon newspaper. Here is the link to a PDF of that article. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 6, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 35. Michelle in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Michelle in California. Michelle lost her husband, Thor, on September 2, 2021. Thor was very proud of his Norwegian heritage, and they both loved Marvel movies. Michelle describes him as the strongest and silliest person she knew. Michelle talks about how she and Thor met, which is such a beautiful story and she also mentions the Facebook Widows group and the Soaring Spirits Widows group. Here are those links: Soaring Spirits Camp Widow The Young Widows and Widowers of COVID-19 Facebook groupFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on June 29, 2022.Support the showIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found at:Instagram Twitter FacebookYouTube (work in progress for the captions)Until next time!Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 34. Loretta in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Loretta in California. Loretta lost both of her parents to COVID within a month of each other. Her mother, Maria Cuevas, died on December 10, 2020 and her father, Cipriano Pedroza, passed away on January 8, 2021. Her parents had been divorced for many years, and so when Loretta's mom passed away, she had no reason to believe her dad would die so soon after. Loretta describes her dad as her favorite person and you can hear that in each word of this episode. There are some audio challenges in this show that I didn't notice at the time of recording and have done my best to work through. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on June 23, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.    All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter  InstagramFacebook Until next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Bonus Episode. Voices-19 Authors Talk About the BookWelcome to another bonus episode where I'll be talking with Jean, Kim and Rosie who wrote chapters in the book Voices-19: Their  Legacies Live On, Stories Collected by Brenda E. Cortez. In each of the 18 chapters of this book, the authors write about a family member they have lost to COVID-19. Jean in New Jersey lost her sister, Vivian Meitzler on April 16, 2020. Kimberlee in Pennsylvania lost her father Paul Letizi on October 29, 2020 and Rosie in Texas lost her mother Mary Castro on Mary 17, 2020. Rosie was a guest on this show on Episode 3 and is the founder of the Yellow Heart Memorial. Jean worked with Brenda Cortez to collect the stories and reached out to the other people who contributed to this book. For a personalized copy of "Voices-19" please reach out directly to any of 19co-authors, their contact information is in their chapter.Below are the links to order the book and the social media contact information for some of the guests on the show. Voices-19 on BC Books, LLC Voices-19 on Amazon Here is a link to Episode 3. Rosie in TexasThe Voices-19 Book on Instagram @voices19bookKimberlee's Instagram @kletiziRosie's Instagram (and also the IG for the Yellow Heart Memorial) For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 15, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well.This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.   All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use.Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagramFacebookUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 33. Megan in South CarolinaIn this episode, I will be talking with Megan in South Carolina. Megan lost her mom, Ann Trombino, to COVID on November 12, 2021. Megan is a mother with young children who will know their grandma through memories as they grow up and Megan has been so changed by her mother's death that she started a nonprofit to help children who have experienced loss and hardship due to a COVID death. Her nonprofit is called COVID is a Thief.Megan has also written a book called COVID is a Thief that she is working on publishing. Here is the link to her nonprofit: COVID is a Thief As well as a link to her nonprofit's Instagram where you can find a preview chapter of Megan's book. The Orphans of COVID on HuluFinally, about midway through this episode, we do talk in detail what happens when a person is on a ventilator for a longer period of time. This may be triggering for some.For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on June 10, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.   All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagramFacebook Until next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 32. Kathryn in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Kathryn in California. Kathryn lost her mom, Dianne Wise, on December 29, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. Kathryn talks about saying goodbye over a video screen and how important it was for her to get back to Canada to see her family and grieve with them. What touched me most in this episode is the grief Kathryn has for her mom not visiting her in the summer of 2020. They weighed the risks at the time not knowing her mom would pass away. Kathryn also talks about how Zoom, even now, brings her memories of losing her mom remotely.McLain's Magazine For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on May 25, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagram FacebookUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Bonus Episode. One Year anniversary of the Rami's Heart permanent memorial grand openingWelcome to another bonus episode where I'll be talking to Rima. She was on episode 6 and she is the wonderful human being who founded the Rami's Heart COVID 19 Memorial on the beach in New Jersey. When I interviewed Rima last year, she was in the process of moving the beach hearts and in this episode we talk about what has been going on with Rima and the memorial since it found a permanent home at Allair Community Farm in Wall Township, New Jersey. The grand opening was on September 17, 2021 and this episode celebrates the one year anniversary of the memorial. Episode 6: Rima in New JerseyRami's Heart COVID MemorialLink to add a loved one's name to the Rami's Heart MemorialAllaire Community FarmFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on August 23, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagramFacebookUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 31. Christina in ArizonaIn this episode, I am talking with Christina in Arizona. Christina lost her mother, Catherine Rodriquez, to COVID on June 22, 2020 and she and I have a lot of similarities in our stories. Her mother had early onset Alzheimer's. My mother had Alzheimer's from a traumatic brain injury. We were both locked out of their long term care facilities and our mothers died alone. Christina's story is so heartbreaking because she had so little communication from the assisted living facility where her mother was. Christina has found a grief support family in her volunteer work with the organization Marked by COVID and she is the Arizona lead for that nonprofit. She also mentions the Million Trees Project and our hope for a national COVID memorial. Here are all those links.  Marked by COVID Million trees project National COVID memorial For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on May 24, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagramFacebookUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 30. Laci in TexasIn this episode, I will be talking with Laci in Texas. Laci lost her dad, Robert Weikert, on November 23, 2021. She and her sisters were able to be with him in the hospital while he was there and he had family surrounding him when he passed away. Laci talks about how even though she's grateful, that came with it's own traumas. She also talks about how she is healing, how her family is healing and the ways she is honoring her dad's memory.On May 11, Laci's story was featured on the COVID Survivors for Change website. And Laci also talks about the incredible support she received from the Facebook support groups for friends and family who have lost someone to COVID. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on May 13, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.   All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 29. Trish in PennsylvaniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Trish in Pennsylvania. Trish lost her dad, Jim, her papa bear, on January 4, 2021. A few weeks after he passed away, Trish was testifying before her state congress and her action keeps going. She is the Yellow Heart Memorial Pennsylvania chapter leader and she shares her dad's story as often as she can. Here are the links to websites and groups we talked about in this show: Faces of COVID VictimsThe book It's Ok That You're Not OKThe book Trish read to her dad is called Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan COVID Survivors for ChangeYellow Heart MemorialFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on May 11, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Year One UpdateThis show launched one year ago today. In this short bonus episode, I talk about how I got the idea to start this show, a little bit about each guest this year and how you can help the show grow. Here are the links I talk about: Stolen Goodbyes podcast Facebook COVID-19 Loss Support for Family & Friends  Cathy's Instagram Joanie's Instagram If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:TwitterInstagram FacebookUntil next time!Support the show

Episode 29. Amberly in MissouriIn this episode, I will be talking with Amberly in Missouri. Amberly lost her grandfather, Raymond, to COVID on December 28, 2020. This is Amberly's first time talking about her grandfather and his death and how it has changed her life. Amberly spent so much time with her grandparents while she was growing up and her grandpa was an important father figure in her life. She was with him at the very end and now she is taking care of her grandma as her life changes and her own health ebbs and flows. Listening to Amberly talk about her grandparents and her love for them is so moving. The song that plays in Amberly's car when she first starts it up and connects her phone is called White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation by Marty Robbins. Here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD8MnvyAi6IFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on April 29, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 27. Kasandra on Long IslandIn this episode, I will be talking with Kasandra on Long Island. Kasandra lost her brother, Louis, to COVID on March 31, 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic and she talks about feeling very stuck in 2020. She feels that with the world "moving on" everyone has forgotten about those we've lost and those who are still sick and dying even now. Kasandra is vocal on Twitter and is a great source of support on the Facebook COVID support groups. She also shares her brother's story everywhere she can. In this episode, she talks about a lot of different groups. She also mentions her brother's Twitter account, frozen in time. Here are all those links. Louis's Twitter accountKasandra's Twitter Rami's Heart COVID 19 Memorial Marked by COVIDSurvivor Corps If you search on Facebook, you can hopefully find these group listed below. You do have to wade through a lot of Facebook COVID warnings and a lot of links they put at the top of the search results, but if you are persistent you can find these groups.  COVID-19 Loss Support for Family & FriendsTouched by COVID-19I lost my loved one(s) to COVID-19 Sibling Grief - The loss of a Sister or BrotherFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on April 21, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 26. Deidre in OklahomaIn this episode, I will be talking with Deidre in Oklahoma. Deidre lost her parents to COVID just 16 days apart. Her stepfather, Asa died on December 27, 2020 and her mom, Catherine passed away on January 13, 2021. She was able to be with both of her parents when they passed away and talks a lot about the difficulties of losing them and how isolated she felt. When we finished recording, Deidre sent me a beautiful email about her parents and all the things she thought to say afterward. I've included that email text below. Her parents obituaries:Catherine Lewis DouglasAsa Bartlett Douglas In America flags COVID Survivors for Change even in Wash DC Oklahoma Yellow Heart Memorial and YHM in general Rami's Heart For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on April 12, 2022.Deidre's email about her parents: MY MOM was the best Mom ever. My best friend. She could never be serious for too long, because she'd crack up laughing at herself. Her giggle was so contagious and she was one of the most empathetic people I've ever known. She connected deeply with people - the gift of gab with a special something extra that made her unforgettable. MY STEPDAD was a oil man by trade at the end, but foremost and originally he was an artist. I helped him and my mom run a screen printing shop together for awhile when I was a teenager… doing T-shirts, promotional items and signs. He always claimed me as his own. He didn't have to, but he did. I'll always be grateful for that.MOURNING THEM both has been difficult. Going through their clothes was probably one of the hardest sorting tasks. I knew all of their clothes. Remembered what they looked like in each outfit and item. I couldn't help but hug some of the outfits as they hung from the hanger in the closet. I suppose it was a way to get one last semblance of their arms around me. There will always be a hole in my life where they should be, where their stories should have continued.------------If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter   Instagram Facebook Until next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 25. Debra in FloridaIn this episode, I will be talking with Debra in Florida. Debra lost her brother, Bobby, to COVID on April 29, 2020. Bobby was born intellectually disabled and so even though he was 55 when he passed away, Debra describes him as very much a big kid. He had a caring nature and lived in the moment. Debra misses him so deeply and you can feel her love for her brother as she talks about him. Debra's grief over losing Bobby is profound and after some dark months, she found a COVID support group and that led her to the Yellow Heart Memorial. Debra heads up the Florida chapter of the Yellow Heart Memorial and has a physical memorial of names at the Crystal River mall. You can submit your loved one's name using the link below. Debra also founded a non-profit called Bobby's Bikes where they give away bikes to kids. Bobby was a generous soul and Debra is carrying on his giving spirit.Yellow Heart Memorial main site Yellow Heart Memorial Crystal River, Florida Google form to share a name with the Florida YHM Bobby's Bikes Savannah Smiles Foundation COVID Survivors for Change For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on March 15, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!Support the show

Episode 24. Joanie in ArizonaIn this episode, I will be talking with Joanie in Colorado. Joanie lost her son, Alexander Hanson-Bain, on February 7, 2020. Alex developed a cough and told his mom he'd be fine, but within a week of falling ill, he'd passed away. There were only early rumblings of the "coronavirus" when Alex died, but Joanie spoke to his doctors and hindsight points COVID as his cause of death. She will never have all the answers, but Joanie has found support in her faith and the COVID community. Alex survived cancer as a child and in this episode, you can tell that Joanie had a special bond with Alex.  Joanie mentions her Instagram account where she posts about her grief journey.  That link is: https://www.instagram.com/qnckgrl_mypostalexjourney/Rami's Heart COVID-19 MemorialInAmerica Flags installation in Washington , DCFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on March 9, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 23. Kim in GeorgiaIn this episode, I will be talking with Kim in Georgia. Kim lost her husband, Mike, on June 10, 2021. Mike battled COVID for seven weeks and was on a ventilator for a time and then taken off and eventually had to be re-intubated. When he was off the ventilator the first time, Mike asked Kim if he died and went to heaven. He told her he visited heaven and he saw his grandparents, his parents and her grandparents and he even told her of a meeting a grandchild that hadn't been conceived yet. She learned of that new grandchild after Miked died.The story Kim tells of Mike's life and his visit to heaven and his own knowing that he was going to die is extremely emotional and I hope it can provide everyone listening with some hope and peace. Kim told me after we recorded that she will never find another love like Mike. He was her one, but she also said that she is healing and that beauty can come from the ashes. InAmerica Flags installationRami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial The Frontline Families Fund information, though the application period ended on December 31, 2021 Information on FEMA's funeral assistanceFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on January 23, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!Support the show

Episode 22. Bianca in CaliforniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Bianca in California. Bianca lost her father, Anthony Faddis, to COVID in April 29, 2021. In episode 13, Nora in California told the story of losing her dad on April 29, 2021 and how on the same day her father-in-law also passed away from COVID. Bianca is Nora's sister-in-law and this episode is Bianca's story of losing her father. Bianca's dad faced a lot of trials in his life, including being homeless for a time, but he always kept his sense of humor. In the years before the pandemic he found stability in rural northern California. Bianca takes so much care in talking about her relationship with her dad and why she feels his loss to acutely. She also talks about the legal struggles she has trying to find a lawyer to investigate her father's death and the days leading up to it.Legal MatchEpisode 13: Nora in California For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on January 17, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show

Episode 21. Allison in MarylandIn this episode, I will be talking with Allison in Maryland. Allison lost her parents to COVID in the summer of 2020. Her mom Terry passed away on July 30 and her father Kenneth passed away just five days later on August 4. Allison lives in Maryland and her parents lived in South Carolina, in the family home that Allison grew up in. Her parents had their own health issues, her dad had just been diagnosed with dementia and they had medical visits they needed to go out for. Allison talks about her grief and her regrets at how her parents died, but she's also coping by sharing her story with others. She is a volunteer through the Yellow Heart Memorial and she was a volunteer at the In America Flags installation last fall in Washington DC. Yellow heart memorial The In America flags that were in Washington, DC in September 2021For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on January 7, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. If you would like to support the show, please visit this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelostAll episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 20. Laura in MissouriIn this episode, I talk with Laura in Missouri. Laura lost her mom to COVID in October 2021. Laura reached out to me via email and she said she wanted to tell her mom's story to share the humanity behind the pandemic. Laura's mom, Julie Yepsen, was a wife for over 40 years, she was a mother and she was Grandma Julie to her six grandkids. She was a giving, caring human and she died of COVID during a time in our history when her choices could be questioned. This episode is Laura's beautiful tribute to her mother and also a loving way for her to reach out to others who might be grieving alone. When we recorded this episode and in the weeks before it was live, thousands upon thousands of people died of COVID. Each one of them had a family who loves them and grieves their loss. And those family members are now part of our COVID grief community. I don't want them to grieve in isolation. Laura decided to share her mother's story rather than grieve quietly and feeling alone.  I've included some links on COVID grief and isolation. I've also included the links to information on the national movement to make a COVID memorial day a reality. And finally a link to the bladder disease Laura's mom had. The Atlantic article on secret griefAn NPR article on stigmatized COVID griefCOVID Memorial Day informationInterstitial CystitisFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on February 16, 2022.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. If you would like to support the show, please visit this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelostAll episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 19. Jerri in West VirginiaIn this episode, I talk with Jerri in West Virginia. Jerri lost her husband, James, to COVID pneumonia on January 1, 2021 and just six weeks later she lost her mother-in-law also to COVID. Jerri has two girls and they lost their dad and their grandma within six week of each other. Jerri's husband James was a retired marine and was a police officer in their small town and her story of how the police honored James is moving. As Jerri says, James was a home town hero and everybody knew him. Even the people he'd arrested sent their condolences.  Jerri became active in the COVID advocacy community with COVID survivors for Change. She was also featured on Yahoo news, CBS news and the Stolen Goodbyes podcast. Currently, Jerri is an admin of a COVID young widows FB group so if you listen to this episode and you are a young COVID widow, Jerri can help. Finally, I've included a link to the Comfort Zone grief camp her girls attended last summer.  Jerri on Yahoo News Jerri on MSN Jerri on CBS News WRGB AlbanyJerri's Stolen Goodbyes podcast episode  The Young Widows and Widowers of COVID-19 Facebook groupComfort Zone Camp For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on December 30, 2021. Just a couple of days before the one year anniversary of James's passing. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. This show won't ever have a paid members area or episodes you have to pay to listen to, but there are expenses with hosting a podcast. If you would like to help, please support the show.  All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 18. Sara in PennsylvaniaIn this episode, I will be talking with Sara in Pennsylvania. Sara and her family were exposed to H1N1 years ago and since then, they have been navigating complex medical auto immune issues. Because of this, Sara and her husband had their eye on the news when word of what we now call COVID19 first started popping up in Wuhan, China. Sara and her family decided to "close their doors" a few weeks before the United States, but she also acknowledged that with her family's immune compromised status, she may lose people she loved. Her parents got COVID in November of 2020 and her father passed away on December 2, 2020. Sara is an amazing storyteller and she tell she family's story so beautifully. The love she has for her father shines through in each word. Sara also talks about the various medical issues her family faces now and the issues her father overcame during his life. Information on Churg-Strauss syndrome,  and if you'd like to make a donation in her father's name, his name is Andy Rotman-Zaid.Information on POTS Syndrome Right to Health Action Information on Long COVID and a list of symptoms People's Pandemic Prevention PlanYellow Heart MemorialSara mentioned on Rachel MaddowCOVID cross stitch memorialDysautonomia Foundation For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on December 27, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 17. Lisa in NashvilleIn this episode, I will be talking with Lisa in Nashville. She relocated to Nashville from New York City in late 2019 to help her dad as he recovered from a serious illness. Lisa lived in New York City on and off for over 10 years to be near her significant other, Ben. Ben was a MTA train conductor in New York City transit authority for 22 years and he passed away of COVID on April 28, 2020, just a day after his birthday. Ben was also just one of two Orthodox Jewish subway conductors in the MTA system. He was an active member of his Brooklyn community, his Jewish community and the world of train memorabilia and knowledge.As Lisa tells their story, you understand their relationship, why she was in Nashville and how their devotion to the Jewish faith influenced the decisions they both made and how Lisa is working through Ben's loss. Like many of us, she and Ben were not together when he died.  For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on December 2, 2021. Below are just some of the online articles on Ben and the other MTA workers who have passed away. One memorial website includes a poem called Travels Far by Tracy K. Smith. It goes like this:What you gave—brief tokens of regard,soft words utteredbarely heard,the smile glimpsedfrom a passing car.Through stationsand years, throughthe veined chambersof a stranger's heart—what you gavetravels far.Here is a link to that poem: https://new.mta.info/covid-memorialHere is a selection of the news articles about Ben.https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-veteran-mta-conductor-dies-20200429-ipwcbpl5lbc35htae7klbb4gta-story.htmlhttps://brooklynreporter.com/2020/04/mta-conductor-ben-schaeffer-dies-from-covid-19/http://www.twulocal100.org/story/conductor-ben-schaeffer-be-honored-ny-transit-museum-historical-program-tuesdayIf you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 16. Cathy in HoustonIn this episode I'm joined by Cathy in Houston, Texas. Cathy lost her father, Steve Wright, to COVID on January 4, 2021. Cathy talks about her dad and how much time their family spent with him, in part because it was their way to be together, but also because Cathy lost her mom in January 2015 to cancer. After that loss, her dad wanted to be "extra hands" and spent an immeasurable amount of time with his grandkids and family. The is a beautiful episode full of love, heartbreak and synchronicities.Information on artist Joni Zavitsanos and her Living Icons art exhibit in Houston, Texas can be found here: https://jonizavitsanos.com/joni-zavitsanos-living-icons-covid-19-victim-memorial-exhibit-opens-october-16/Information on Angel Flights can be found here: https://www.angelflightsc.org/. If you would like to make a donation in honor of Steve Wright, you can do that here: https://4agc.com/donation_pages/35399d99-aef5-4f20-8948-09a75e7dd6cdFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on November 9, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 15. Mary & Tammy in West VirginiaIn this episode, I'm joined by mother and daughter, Mary and Tammy from West Virginia. Tammy reached out to me on behalf of her mother, Mary. Tammy told me that her mom had a lot of anger about losing her husband to COVID. Mary and her husband, Bob, were married for almost 57 years when he passed away in October of 2020. Tammy felt that if her mom shared her story, and her love for her husband, it would help her heal. I had the pleasure of speaking to this lovely mother daughter duo together and together they share their story of loss and how they are healing and moving forward. The In America flags that were in Washington, CD in September 2021 can be viewed here: https://www.inamericaflags.org/For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 25, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 14. Dawn in AlabamaIn this episode I'm joined by Dawn from Alabama. Dawn is a family nurse practitioner at an urgent care in a town outside of Birmingham, Alabama and she lost her father to COVID in January 2021. After her dad passed away, Dawn wrote out his story and all the memories she had of him growing up. Dawn's dad operated coin laundries in Alabama and he used to find flattened, almost melted change in the washing machines and dryers. She fondly remembers him bringing that change home to share with her. So she started Pennies for Pop and encouraged others to share their stories of losing a loved one. And now her Pennies for Pop has grown into LiveLikePop.org.You can find Pennies for Pop at https://livelikepop.org/You can also follow LiveLikePop on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/memorykeepersdaughter21/WhoWeLost.org can be found here: https://whowelost.org/And the COVID-19 Memorial Rami's Heart can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Covid19MemorialRamisheart/For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on November 30, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 13. Nora in CaliforniaIn this episode, I talk with Nora in California. She lost her father, Manuel Juarez, to COVID on April 29, 2021 and later that same day her father-in-law also died of COVID. Nora talks about all the changes her family made because of the pandemic and how difficult it was for all her family to stay isolated and as that isolation continues for all of them, how she is coping with these losses. Nora's father came from El Salvador and so she didn't know much about his life as a child. Nora tells me how she is writing down the stories of her dad and finding his brothers and sisters and talking to to them to learn more about him. Nora shared her dad's name and story with the Rami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial, the COVID quilt and also had teddy bears made out of some of her dad's clothing. Here are those links:https://www.facebook.com/Covid19MemorialRamisheart/https://covidquilt2020.com/The teddy bears are from Rami's Heart, too, so contact them for more information if you would like those. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 18, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email. My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 12. Bari in PennsylvaniaIn this episode, I talk to Bari in Pennsylvania. Bari lost her mother in April of 2020. After Bari's mother passed away, she tried to find a support group and realized that there were no support groups (at that time) for people who'd lost someone to COVID. So she founded a support group called In Loving Memory 19 and it has become a non- profit organization. They can be found online on Facebook and Instagram.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inlovingmemory19Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_inlovingmemory19Bari's daughter, Jocelyn, designed the logo for InLovingMemory19. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 11, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 11. Maria in New JerseyIn this episode I'll be talking to Maria in New Jersey. Maria lost her father to COVID in October of 2020, just a few days after he'd retired to Costa Rica. When vaccines were announced to the public in early 2021, Maria tried to get her mom, her husband and herself on the list to be vaccinated and had trouble making the appointments. Once she figured out how to navigate New Jersey's online scheduling system, Maria made it her mission to help as many seniors as possible get their vaccination appointments.  She thought to herself, how could my dad have done this? And so she helped others in her dad's honor. Here are some links to the news articles about Maria's service to her community, but as she said to me, she'd give up all that publicity to have her dad back. https://www.facebook.com/TheDrewBarrymoreShow/videos/542150353434802/https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a35589162/new-jersey-facebook-group-covid-vaccine-appointments/For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on October 5, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 10. Marilyn in ArizonaIn this episode I talk to Marilyn in Phoenix, Arizona. Marilyn is a science teacher and her husband works in science research. She talks about knowing how bad COVID was going to be and the choices her family made at the beginning of the pandemic to keep everyone safe. And they did such a good job. Despite all their efforts, Marilyn's family got COVID. Marilyn lost her mother to COVID in March of 2021 after a long hospital stay. This episode really got me and even now as I write this I am struck by the time and love Marilyn gave to her mother. Her mom spent quite a long time in the hospital on a ventilator and Marilyn took the time to read to her and talk to her via Facetime even though her mom could not talk back. One thing, among many, that stands out in this interview is that Marilyn pushed for her mother to be retested for COVID after she'd spent weeks in the COVID ICU and when that test came back negative, her mother was moved and her family was able to visit her in person in the hospital. I learn so much from every guest on the show and Marilyn was no different. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 24, 2021.Marilyn mentions COVID Connections. You can find information on those support groups here: https://covidsurvivorsforchange.org/survivor-resources/She also mentioned the Marked by COVID network. You can find out more about them here: https://www.markedbycovid.com/ Marilyn wrote a beautiful tribute to her mom and sent it to me. Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Marilyn's mom was devoted to her family, I wanted to share what she wrote here: What is there to say about losing the singular most important person in your life?I'll start off by sharing the note I would give to the ICU nurses and staff:Dear Nurses and ICU staff, All nurses and the one's caring for my mother Maria in room number 219. She's a sweet lady that loves to spend time with her grandkids. She always would start conversations with anyone and everyone and always tried to leave that person feeling seen, cared for, and happy. My mom is that type of person. We would like nothing more in this world to keep Maria in this world as she truly is someone who makes it a better place and helps others. Thank you for all that you do. I am well aware of the circumstances you each are working in everyday as I have family members who are in the medical field nationwide. Our nation wouldn't be surviving this pandemic without each and every one of you and the effort you put forth each day. You all are true real life heroes. I hope you can enjoy this small token of appreciation I have for each and every one of you. COVID friendly air hug and hand to the heart in immense gratitude,Maria Alcoba (room 219), her daughter Marilyn Raming, and the rest of our family and friends.It was important that the nurses and people caring for my mother knew the type of person she was and how much she meant to us. It makes it more humanizing and not just another person in the ICU. I would always make a point to share a story about my mother to the nurses caring for my mother. My brother, father, and I did everything we could to oversee my mothers care. We never thought we could've contracted COVID since we were all so careful and so close to receiving our vaccines. We all got COVID around mid-January. Around that time my mother would our children, Harrison and Logan, since I was teaching virtually. I saw my mother feel more fatigued as the days progressed, Wren decided to get tested since we werSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 9. Jill in Los AngelesJill lost her father to COVID in April 2020 near the beginning of the pandemic. Jill lives in Los Angeles and her father lived in Chicago. He was very active in the local community and her family thinks that he was probably exposed to COVID quite early before there were any real protocols in place. Jill's dad developed COVID pneumonia and from the moment he went into the hospital in March until the day he passed away he was on a ventilator. Jill talks about her experience losing her dad from a distance and talking to her dad and her family via Facetime while he was in the hospital just hoping he could hear them. She talks about her grief and how it doesn't yet seem really real to her that her dad is gone. Even a year and a half later.  We also talk about how grief has changed Jill and made her more open to being there for others in their trying times, when before she might have shied away.  I can completely relate to that feeling, too, so we explore that and how grief has changed us. Jill mentions the COVID Connections group.  You can find out more about those weekly meetings at at COVID Survivors for Change. https://covidsurvivorsforchange.org/survivor-resources/For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 22, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our brand new social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 8. Lisa in IndianaLisa from Indiana shares her story of losing her dad to COVID in March of 2021.  We talk about so much in this episode and it's a long one, but there was no part of it I wanted to cut out. Lisa had to rehome her dad's dogs, take care of her mother, make the medical decisions for her father's care while he was in the hospital, and she had to decide when to turn off his life-support. As she says in this episode, her dad was her person. And it's clear from every word Lisa says that she was her dad's person right back. This episode does include some talk that may be triggering, including medical descriptions of hospital procedure, how a person changes while they are in a medical coma and also some discussion about how hard it is to continue to want to live when someone you lost is gone. Lisa mentions how she created an Instagram account to talk about her grief.  You can find that at https://www.instagram.com/adaughter.survivinggrief.  Lisa also talks about the website whowelostusa.org and how you can submit your loved ones story there. She also mentions Rami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial. You can follow that memorial on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Covid19MemorialRamisheart/For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on September 8, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 7. Lauren in New JerseyWhen I started this podcast, I was angry that my mom died in a COVID outbreak in her nursing home. I was so focused on that that I didn't think about the people who worked there. Thank goodness for Lauren who reached out to me to tell her mom's story. Lauren's mom was a CNA in a nursing home in Connecticut.  When the pandemic started their family decided to all isolate so that Lauren's mom could go into her work and know she was doing her best to keep the residents she worked with safe. Lauren and her mom sacrificed so much time with each other. They sacrificed holidays and birthdays and hugs and in November of 2020 Lauren's mom was exposed again to COVID, but this time she tested positive. She passed away on December 2, 2020. Lauren's story is a powerful one of love, sacrifice and loss. But there is hope here for all of us as we see another side to this pandemic. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 2, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our brand new social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 6. Rima in New JerseyRima lost her brother to COVID on May 10, 2020 which happened to be Mother's Day.  Rima shares her story with us in this episode and also talks so openly about how difficult it is to watch her mother's grief at losing a son on Mother's Day. To honor her brother's life, Rima started the Rami's Heart COVID-19 Memorial on January 25, 2021, on what would have been her brother's 41st birthday.  She posted to her personal social media and asked if anyone else would like her to write a family members name on rocks and take it out to the beach.  She received some names from people in her community and had a lovely, small candle lighting service on the beach.  But then more and more people started sending Rima their family members names.  What began as one heart on the beach in New Jersey, became two and then four and then ten.  It grew too big to keep there and summer weather could have damaged it.  Rima became instrumental in moving the hearts, very carefully, to a permanent location. You can read more about this amazing memorial here: https://theomahastar.com/syndicate/grassroots-memorials-remember-u-s-covid-19-deaths-while-push-is-on-for-national-monument/ And you can also read about her memorial and the national movement to create a national memorial here: https://time.com/6095659/memorializing-covid-19-tragedy/If you would like to donate to the memorial you can do that here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ramis-heart-covid19-memorialYou can also follow her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Covid19MemorialRamisheart/You can email the memorial ramisheart@gmail.comThe memorial is still taking names.  If you would like to submit your family member's name, please send an email or contact her via Facebook. For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 14, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Episode 5. Kpana in New York CityThis is an amazing episode and I'm so glad Kpana shared her story with me.  Kpana and her family lost her mother last May around Mother's Day. She has three other siblings and they each took different roles in their mother's care, her end of life and afterward. There are so many good threads to follow in this episode, for example, Kpana and her family used a shared Google Doc to keep each other updated on what was happening at their mom's facility.  That's something I'd never thought to do. Kpana also talks about how her family each experienced their mother's death differently, how their grief is different and that's OK. Finally, Kpana shares her involvements in COVID loss groups online and the ways that she is working through her feelings and able to help other's whose loss in more recent.  For context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 25, 2021. If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our brand new social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!---Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100588Artist: http://incompetech.com/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)

Episode 4. Sam in ArizonaSam lost her father last September to COVID and she shares her story with us in this episode. Her father spent 64 days in a hospital ICU and the experience Sam had with the hospital, the video calls and the lack of control led her to raise money to purchase tablets for her local hospitals and eventually to found a non-profit that focuses on family centered, holistic care.  Sam opens up about so much in this episode, her walk through grief, she speaks from her nursing experience and she emphasizes the importance of treating the entire person (their faith, their family, their health and their values) during their care. You can learn more about her non-profit here: https://www.speakinglife4u.org/You can reach her directly at SpeakingLife4LovedOnes@gmail.comFor context on this interview and the ever-changing pandemic, we recorded this episode on July 12, 2021.If you've lost a loved one to COVID and would like to share your story on the show, please send me an email.  My email address is forthosewelostpodcast@gmail.com. Or go to the website forthosewelostpodcast.com and click on contact button and you can reach me that way as well. All episodes are written and produced by me and all music is used under the protection of fair use. Our brand new social media accounts can be found:Twitter:   twitter.com/forthosewelostpInstagram: instagram.com/forthosewelostpodcastUntil next time!Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/forthosewelost)