Erica Lopez says her parents' deaths marked an ending to a beautiful love story.
Her father, Guadalupe “Lupe” Lopez, and mother, Maria Lopez, had been together for 36 years. They passed away from COVID-19 just two weeks apart.
"My mom and dad loved each other," Erica Lopez said. "They were so much in love, and...honestly I have peace in my heart to know they are together, and I think just one couldn’t live without the other."
Erica Lopez told NBC 5 Saturday that following her parents' deaths, she's been trying to stay strong for her family.
"It’s just honestly a nightmare I feel like my body can’t wake up from...a bad dream or something," she said.
Just days after a funeral procession for her father, who was a longtime Chicago 911 dispatcher, Erica Lopez received a phone call from doctors that her mother wasn't going to make it.
"She actually died pretty much the exact same reason like my dad. They both had their kidneys failed. They both had brain bleeds, and their heart just stopped," Erica Lopez said.
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Doctors thought Maria Lopez's condition was improving, but a month after a testing positive for the virus and being in the hospital, she died on Friday.
Erica Lopez said her mother loved celebrating Christmas and was so excited to spend it with her new grandson.
"She ordered a dish towel that said 'happy, nice being a grandma,'" Erica Lopez said. "She’s never going to get to hang [to] that dish towel."
Erica said Saturday that she hopes that by sharing her story with the public, people will take the coronavirus seriously.
"I don’t wish this pain on anyone," she said. "I just wish people would respect the virus, respect the rules of the virus to stay alive because my parents tried so hard."
