[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]atching coronavirus deniers in the media and scrolling through outlandish conspiracy theories about it in social media hits differently when you’ve had someone close to you pass away from COVID-19.
For David Lopez, a Highland Park native who lost his grandmother last week due to the virus, its a slap in the face. “You can protest and deny the existence and risk of this virus, but at the end of the day...that won’t bring my [grandmother] back,” Lopez tells L.A. Taco on behalf of his mother and himself.
On Wednesday, the professional photographer published a short video on Instagram that captured the emotionally devastating final moments his mother, Guadalupe Lopez, was forced to say her final goodbye to his grandmother, Amparo Morales. It all took place over FaceTime video. She passed away as a result of contracting the virus. David and his mother believe she may have become infected at the convalescent home she was in. She was 84. He is utilizing his family tragedy to spread more awareness of just how cruel coronavirus can be.
“I wanted to show how real the situation is,” he tells L.A. Taco via a phone interview. I know I can’t change people’s minds on this but I hope if they can get a glimpse of how real this all is and the potential consequences, they might be more respectful at least for people like who have suffered a loss.”
He shares that the only interaction he and his family ever had with his grandmother was through FaceTime or Zoom. “Seeing my mom have to say her final goodbyes to her mother is the cruelest thing I have ever seen,” he says in the video. “Everyone is affected, it’s just a matter of how serious.” The freelance photographer and employee of a local arcade is feeling the financial hit like many others. He still hasn’t received his unemployment benefits and doesn’t know when he is going to work again, so he tells L.A. Taco that he understands the frustration that many are feeling, but they still shouldn’t forget about people who are suffering the loss of family members—beyond financial hardships.
Due to his grandmother’s untimely death, the family has had to navigate through the complex process of figuring out funeral arrangements in the age of COVID-19. Since most funeral homes are either shut down or not able to accommodate any more bodies, David informs L.A. Taco that they are looking into cremation. That is what his grandmother wanted he says.
However, he assures that when all this is over, his grandmother will receive a proper funeral service.
“My mom and I aren’t trying to get famous or anything, I just want to have people see how real this is for some of us.”
