Death
Many children we spoke to lost a loved one. The death of a loved one is a shattering experience under normal circumstances. But losing a loved one during the pandemic had a unique and heartbreaking challenge: not being able to say goodbye. Not being allowed close to the person dying to say goodbye. And not being allowed to gather with the community that can help you mourn.
Zaniah, 11, Illinois, USA
Zaniah lost her Dad during the early months of the pandemic. Here she talks about how the social distancing safety protocols compounded the hardship of losing her Dad.
Recorded: October 22, 2021
No Goodbye
Zaniah’s Mom is her rock. Here Zaniah discusses how her Mom helps keep the memory of her Dad alive, and how Zaniah in turn supports her Mom as they both grieve.
Mom’s Support
Zaniah, 13, Illinois, USA
We interviewed Zaniah again 1 1/2 years later to see how she’s doing and how she looks back on the big events of the pandemic. Here, she talks about what happened on the day her Dad passed away, and how it led to a change in her.
Recorded: June 11, 2023
The Day Dad Died
Say What You Need to Say
Amor, 12, California, USA
Amor’s aunt, her Mom’s sister, was like a second mother to her. Here Amor explains their relationship and how central her aunt was in her life.
Recorded: April 23, 2022
My Aunt, My Second Mother
One of the most painful things for Amor was not being able to have contact with her aunt as she got increasingly more ill and eventually passed away. Here she talks about the painful exclusion and isolation she felt when only two people were allowed to be with her aunt as she passed away, and Amor was not chosen to be among them.
Kept Away
After Amor’s aunt’s death, she was left having to make sense of her loss and pain. Here she talks about how she coped.
Coping
In the months after Amor’s aunt’s death, Amor’s Mom suggested Amor get a therapy pet to help her with her grief. And that’s how Zuko came into Amor’s life:
Zuko
Izzy, 15, California, USA
Izzy lost her Grandfather and Great-Aunt to COVID. In her interview she talks about the compounded grief of losing loved ones during a lockdown: not being able to be close to them during their final sick days, and not having the healing ritual of a funeral.
Recorded: November 5, 2021
No Goodbye