The third wave in Canada is relentless. Where I live, the stories break my heart; I know that all of the other provinces, territories and Treaties have their own tragedies I haven’t heard. And probably never will, because it is all so overwhelming. The world is heavy right now.
I read one journalist’s article on how “the dead don’t feel dead, they feel disappeared” and it made me think about how one day we will look back on this and be horrified by what we lived through. How death—something western culture shields itself from—could not be escaped, for it became omnipresent. The nightly death counts on the news are strange enough; now, with India being devastated by COVID-19, we are updated with even more morbid visuals. Comprehending abstract numbers is one thing; actually seeing bodies piled in row upon row of pyres all alight is quite another.
As is putting a face to a statistic.
These are a few of the local stories that gave me pause this week. They are all from my area. Their stories deserve to be heard. The survivors need to be supported.
• 32-year-old father of two dies from COVID-19 eight days after being diagnosed. A GoFundMe is raising money for the children’s education.
• Father dies of COVID-19 days after couple’s third child born. His wife has also tested positive and remains in hospital. A GoFundMe is raising money to support the family.
• Well-known local chef loses his battle to COVID-19, leaving behind a wife and two children. A GoFundMe is raising money to support the family.
• Siblings lose both parents to COVID-19 within months of each other. A GoFundMe is raising money to support the family.
• Beloved teacher loses his battle to COVID-19. A GoFundMe is raising money to start a scholarship for Indigenous students in his name.