Mayor Loses Stepdad and Mom Due to Coronavirus Weeks Apart

Long Beach, California, Mayor revealed that he lost his stepfather two weeks after he lost his mom. Gabriella O'Donnell and Greg O'Donnell both died due to the coronavirus.

In July, Robert Garcia posted on Twitter that both his mom and stepdad have tested positive with COVID-19. He shared that both had to be hospitalized and put on a ventilator.

Garcia's mom, who was a longtime healthcare worker, died on July 26. She had been married to Greg, 58, for 27 years. A day after her memorial service, Greg died of complications.

(Photo : Twitter/Robert Garcia)

Stepdad died two weeks after his mom died

On Monday, Garcia shared his grief about losing his stepdad on Twitter. He said that they are incredibly saddened by the death of Greg O'Donnell. He died due to COVID-19 complications. He shared that it was a heartbreaking loss for the whole family, most especially for his brother Jake.

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He described Greg as a kind and good-hearted man, and an amazing father and grandfather. Garcia also wrote that he is the best husband his mom could ever hope for. He and his brother want to thank all the heroic doctors and nurses who care for their dad in his last days.

The mayor agrees with his brother Jake's post saying that while they are broken to the loss of their parents, they find comfort that both are together again. Adding that both their parents are not suffering from pain anymore.

Garcia paid tribute to his mom earlier last month by tweeting that she was the kindest and most compassionate person they have ever known. He wrote that his 61-year-old mom will always be their guiding light and the center of their lives. Both Garcia and Jake are grateful for the heroes at the Long Beach Memorial for taking care of their mom during her last days.

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A post shared by Mayor Robert Garcia (@longbeachmayor) on Apr 24, 2020 at 12:48pm PDT

Mom found the American Dream

The mayor shared that his mom immigrated to the US from Peru to look for the American Dream. He explained that his mom found it after becoming a healthcare worker. His mom loved caring for patients and assisting nurses and doctors.

No one knows if both Garcia's mom and stepdad suffered any pre-existing condition before contracting the virus. Older people have a higher risk of getting infected with the virus. Those who have underlying medical conditions also have greater chances of getting ill with the virus, based on the CDC.

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A large study in New York City, which included thousands of patients, revealed that 88 percent had two or more pre-existing conditions. US Sen. Kamala Harris wrote his tribute for Garcia's parents. She wrote that his heart aches for the mayor and his family. She also wrote that Gabriella has touched many Californians and has led an extraordinary life.

When Garcia's stepfather died, Harris wrote comforting words again to support her colleague. She wrote that her heart breaks again for another devastating loss to Garcia's family. She wished that both his stepdad and mom be their guiding light in the days ahead.