An elderly couple in Fort Worth, Texas, that met in high school and had been married for 53 years passed away side by side only a few hours apart due to COVID-19 while holding hands.
Tim Tarpley, the son of Betty and Curtis Tarpley, said his parents were diagnosed with the virus at the same time in June, according to CBS affiliate, Cleavland19. His mother was brought to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth and shortly after, his father was also admitted. Her condition, however, got worse faster.
“My mom called me and said, ‘Hey, I want to let you know I’m ready to go.’ And I yelled and screamed,” the son said.
I know my parents are smiling
Posted by Tim Tarpley on Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Tim later called his father, who was placed on a different hospital floor.
“He said, ‘How’s your mom?’ I said, ‘Well, she’s not good. She may not make it past tomorrow.’ It was like at that moment, knowing that my mom was then gonna go, it was OK for him to go,” Tim said.
😭 Fort Worth Couple Married 53 Years Dies Of Coronavirus Less Than An Hour Apart, Holding Hands https://t.co/8fpMaCDfD2
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) June 26, 2020
Betty and Curtis were 80 and 79-years-old.
According to Tim, nurses he had never met, especially one he only knows as Blake, made his parents’ final moments special by eventually placing them in the same room.
“He [Blake] really went out of his way to get my mom moved from her room to his room, and then, he just placed their hands near each other. Next thing we know, they grabbed each other’s hand, and that’s how they went,” the loving son said.
It was an incredibly kind gesture on the part of the nurses and Tim said he could not be more grateful for what they did.
For CBSDFW’s report on the story please see the video below.
What are your thoughts on this heartbreaking story? Let us know by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you’ve found it of value.
