Family remembers mother who passed away from COVID-19 as a caring, hard-working woman

Hospice nurse who died from COVID-19 remembered as a hard-working woman

Family members of Belinda Brown say she worked hard to provide for her children, and was always willing to help others.

PHOENIX - A Valley family is in mourning after losing their mother to COVID-19.

54-year-old Belinda Brown, who was a mother of three, provided for her family, which has left a lot to take on for her children.

"It’s a real thing, and it took the one person we had left," said Brown's daughter, Arlinda Widehat.

In early December, Brown fell ill with COVID-19. Her condition quickly declined, and she passed away on Saturday, leaving behind Widehat, along with Widehat's sister, Ariel Castillo, and brother, Michael.

"It’s been so hard to lose someone like that," said Castillo. "Somebody you see every single day, that you talk to everyday, so the adjustment to never seeing her again is incredibly hard."

Brown was a hospice CNA nurse. She was a hard worker, working seven days a week to provide for all of her kids.

"There is no real way I can actually put into words who she was, because she was just so sweet," said Castillo. "She wanted to help everyone. She didn’t care if she knew you or not. If you needed help, she’d be there."

Unfortunately, because of the situation, Castillo and Michael have to get out of their rental home where they lived with their mom. Widehat, meanwhile, is helping the best she can.

The family says they are taking things a day at a time.

"She was our only parent left, considering that our father had died a few years before, and it has just been so hard," said Castillo.

On Jan. 14, the family met with the funeral home to hopefully get something worked out to properly lay their mother to rest.

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COVID-19 symptoms

Symptoms for coronavirus COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. These, of course, are similar to the common cold and flu.

Expect a common cold to start out with a sore or scratchy throat, cough, runny and/or stuffy nose. Flu symptoms are more intense and usually come on suddenly, and can include a high fever.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear more slowly. They usually include fever, a dry cough and noticeable shortness of breath, according to the World Health Organization. A minority of cases develop pneumonia, and the disease is especially worrisome for the elderly and those with other medical problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or heart conditions.