COVID-19 In Allegheny County: 8 Months After Father's Death, Family Says It Does Not Get Any Easier
AMBRIDGE, Pa. (KDKA) - Thursday marked another heartbreaking day for the coronavirus death toll, with Allegheny County reporting 55 deaths.
"I want people to know their actions — or lack thereof — could impact someone else like how our family was impacted," said Kristi Park.
Thursday was also Park's parents' 25th wedding anniversary and eight months since her family said goodbye to their father.
"April 17 is a day that will forever stick in our minds as a horrible day," Park said.
Paul Bohn died last spring from COVID-19 while his wife, Linda, was at home battling the same virus.
"He was a funeral director for 50 years and we couldn't even give him a funeral," Linda said.
Christmas was Paul's favorite time of year, the family said.
"My heart just isn't in it this year. I'm just going through the motions," Linda said.
Her grandchildren decorated the house in their grandfather's memory, but the days don't get any easier.
"All you see is COVID, COVID, COVID and it makes it even harder seeing those numbers go up and you go, 'Wow, 300,000 people and families are feeling the same way we are feeling,'" Linda said.
It's a grim reality and one this family wants the world to see.
"Hey, people, wake up. This is a real thing. The numbers are going up and we are losing our neighbors, we are losing our family members and we are losing other Americans," Park said.
With a hole in their hearts, the family hopes their story encourages people to hunker down and protect their own loved ones.
"If it changes one person, just one person, that's fantastic if it just saves somebody," Park said.
Both Linda and Park said the community's support after the loss of Paul has been wonderful, but they truly don't believe they will have closure until we get out of the pandemic and stop losing so many people to this virus.
