A married couple who worked as a teacher in Texas died of COVID-19 complications while holding hands.
Paul Blackwell, 61, and Rose Mary Blackwell, 65, died Sunday at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, sharing a final hug.
Paul Blackwell taught physical education and was a soccer coach at Fannin Middle School for five years. His wife Rose was a second grade teacher and just celebrated her 20th year at the Travis World Language Academy.
Paul’s son Christopher Blackwell said they contracted the virus and were checked into a hospital in early December. Shortly after, they needed a ventilator to breathe.
Married teachers Paul Blackwell, 61, and Rose Mary Blackwell, 65, died hand in hand Sunday from COVID-19 complications in Texas
Paul’s son and Rose’s stepson Christopher Blackwell said doctors told their family that the couple would not survive and that they made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw their livelihoods. They held hands and were both gone in minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s hard to even put it into words, ”he said
Last week, the couple’s relatives were told they would not survive and the family made the heartbreaking decision to take them out of life.
Hospital workers brought their beds side by side and joined hands for their final moments.
“ Two of my other brothers are actually in the room there in the hospital and they drove my stepmother into the room there with my dad and got both off the fan at the same time, ” Christopher told CBS11.
They had held hands and were both gone in minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s hard to even put it into words, ‘he added.
Paul Blackwell taught physical education and was a soccer coach at Fannin Middle School for five years. His wife Rose was a second grade teacher and just celebrated her 20th anniversary at Travis World Language Academy
The couple continued to work until they fell ill and had postponed family gatherings with their five children over the summer due to the threat of the virus. It is not clear how they contracted COVID-19
Hospital workers at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth (above) brought the couple side by side and joined hands before the family took the couple’s livelihoods
The couple continued to work until they fell ill and had postponed family gatherings with their five children over the summer due to the threat of the virus.
It is not clear how they contracted COVID-19.
‘They said’ until death do us part. And so it went, ”said Christopher.
Students from the two schools received counseling after the teachers died.
Rose Mary and Paul will be greatly missed by many. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, colleagues and students, both current and former, ” the Grand Prairie school district said in a statement.
Paul pictured above. The deaths of the teachers devastated their students and the community
Rose Mary and Paul will be greatly missed by many. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, colleagues and students, both current and former, ” the Grand Prairie school district said in a statement
In Texas, there were 1,520,038 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and at least 24,890 deaths on Tuesday.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the funeral expenses of the Blackwells and has raised more than $ 7,000 as of Tuesday.
“We’ve had a tragic loss in the Blackwell Family. Sunday night, we lost both our parents Rosemary and Paul Blackwell to Covid complications, ”the fundraiser says.
“They left behind many, many loved ones, including (their children, their wives, 20 grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, nephews and parents. We are all not sure what we say, but we want to thank everyone for their constant prayers” , it adds.