HERNANDO, Miss. — A family is turning their pain into purpose, pleading for people to do their part in slowing the spread of coronavirus after losing two family members four days apart.
Kimberly Smith said her family has been pushed to its limits after losing her mother Linda and grandmother Lucy four days apart from COVID-19 complications. She said it’s even harder knowing they couldn’t honor her mom’s final wishes.
“To have those two really powerful women ripped from you days apart is devastating,” Smith said. “She wasn’t given her wishes. She wanted to die with my brother, my sister, myself and my daddy surrounding her and covid took that away from us.
Smith said her parents and grandparents all lived together. Her dad was the first to test positive for the virus.
“They actually got it from an asymptomatic aide. It was not her fault. She had no idea,” Smith said. “It can happen to anyone. It happened to us. We wore masks.”
The family is left with the pain of trying to move forward. Smith says her grandmother lived to see 93-years with most of them devoted to her grandfather Warren, who now struggles without her.
“My grandfather, him and my grandmother were married for 76 years. He has in stage dementia. He’s not even really aware of what’s going on. He calls out for her,” Smith said.
Smith asks for everyone to think of him and do their part to flatten the curve.
“Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You don’t want to be that person. You don’t want it to happen to you. You have the power to change. You have the power to change the outcome,” Smith said.