I lost my brother, Joe, to Covid on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 5:30a.m. in the morning. In 2015, he had open heart surgery for an irregular heart beat. Immediately after being discharged from the hospital, he suffered a massive stroke. For the next six years, he was unable to walk, speak, and use his right hand. In March 2021, he developed pneumonia and was brought to the hospital. He had not yet been vaccinated against Covid. Shortly before he was supposed to be discharged, he contracted Covid at the hospital and died on April 6th.

I read about Rima and Travis and their efforts to build a memorial dedicated to the memory of our loved ones. I have written to President Biden, Senator Menendez, Senator Booker, and Congressman Gothheimer asking them to support efforts to build a memorial to the loved ones we have lost to Covid. We have visited the Rami’s Heart Covid memorial in Wall Township and we purchased a heart for my brother that has been placed on the ground with other hearts. In addition, we have supported other fund raising efforts. We attended the service at Rami’s Heart after the “HOPE” letters with our loved ones’ photos returned from Washington D.C.

I can’t begin to tell you how meaningful it is to be with people who are experiencing the same loss. Shared grief is a powerful emotion and I believe it is an integral part of the healing process. We live in Bergen County so we cannot visit often; however, it is comforting to know there is a place to go where our hearts can grieve and heal.