A married couple working as teachers in Texas died of complications from COVID-19 while shaking hands.
Paul Blackwell, 61, and Rose Mary Blackwell, 65, died Sunday at Fort Worth Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth sharing one last hug.
Paul Blackwell taught physical education and was a football coach at Fannin Middle School for five years. His wife Rose was a second-year teacher and had just celebrated her twentieth year working at Travis World Language Academy.
Paul’s son Christopher Blackwell said they contracted the virus and were admitted to a hospital in early December. Shortly afterwards they needed a respirator to breathe.
Married professors Paul Blackwell, 61, and Rose Mary Blackwell, 65, died holding hands Sunday due to complications from COVID-19 in Texas
Paul’s son and Rose’s stepson Christopher Blackwell said doctors told his family the couple would not survive and that they made the heartbreaking decision to retire from life support. They had them holding hands and they had both left in a couple of minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s even hard to put it into words, ’he said
Last week the couple’s family members were told they would not survive and the family made the heartbreaking decision to remove them from life.
Hospital workers put the beds together next to each other and clasped their hands together for the last few moments.
“Actually, two of my siblings are in the hospital room and they took my stepmother to the room with my dad and at the same time took them out of the ventilator,” Christopher told CBS11.
They had them holding hands and they had both left in a couple of minutes. I had never seen anything like it and it is even difficult to put it into words, ‘he added.
Paul Blackwell taught physical education and was a football coach at Fannin Middle School for five years. His wife Rose was a second-year teacher and had just celebrated her twentieth year working at Travis World Language Academy
The couple continued to work until she fell ill and postponed family reunions with her five children over the summer due to the threat of the virus. It is unclear how they hired COVID-19
Workers at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth (above) carried the couple side by side and clasped their hands together before the family withdrew the couple’s life support.
The couple continued to work until she fell ill and postponed family reunions with her five children over the summer due to the threat of the virus.
It is unclear how they hired COVID-19.
“They said” until death separated us. And so it was, ”Christopher said.
Students at both schools have received counseling after the teachers died.
Rose Mary and Paul will miss people a lot. Our thoughts and prayers are addressed to his family, friends, co-workers and current and former students, ”the Grand Prairie school district said in a statement.
Paul in the picture above. The deaths of teachers have devastated their students and the community
Many will miss Rose Mary and Paul. Our thoughts and prayers are addressed to his family, friends, co-workers and current and former students, ”the Grand Prairie school district said in a statement.
There have been 1,520,038 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Texas and at least 24,890 deaths as of Tuesday.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the Blackwells ’funeral expenses and has raised more than $ 7,000 as of Tuesday.
“We had a tragic loss to the Blackwell family. On Sunday evening we lost our parents Rosemary and Paul Blackwell due to Covid complications,” the fundraiser says.
“They left behind many, many loved ones, including (their children, their wives, 20 grandchildren, sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews and parents). Right now we are all losing our words, but we want to give thank you to everyone for their continued prayers, ”he adds.