Married Teachers Held Hands as They Died from COVID-19

A married Texas couple, who both worked as teachers have died tragically from the ongoing Coronavirus. Their son shares the moment he watched his parents pass while holding hands. School pupils will receive grief counseling.

Married school teachers, Paul Blackwell, who was a football coach at Fannin Middle School, and his wife, Rose Blackwell who taught at The Travis World Academy in Grand Prairie, Texas, lost their lives to Covid-19 while holding hands this past Sunday.

According to their son, Christopher Blackwell, Paul and Rose contracted the deadly virus at the beginning of December. The pair then had themselves admitted into the Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

Paul and Rose soon required the assistance of a ventilator, following which they were placed on life support due to complications. Christopher Blackwell shares the moment the family decided to take them off life support, saying:

"They had them holding hands and they were both gone in a couple of minutes. I’ve never seen anything like that before and it’s hard to even put into words seeing that.”

Doctors had notified the family Paul and Rose's condition had deteriorated as a result of Covid complications, saying the two would not survive. Their beds were placed together and their fingers were interlinked as they passed.

According to Christopher, the decision to take their parents off life support was grueling. Two of his brothers were in the hospital room, while other family members joined virtually. Rose and Paul leave behind their 5 children and 20 grandchildren.

Paul's wife, Rosa (65) had taught at Travis World Language Academy for 20 years, making her the longest-serving educator at the campus.

Although it is yet to be determined how the couple contracted the virus, they are said to have taken the necessary precautions. This includes postponing family gatherings over the summer, in order to stay off.

The Blackwell family has pleaded with funders for financial assistance through their GoFundMe page, to assist with the necessary arrangements. Donors have been sharing messages of condolences, with one funder saying:

"It’s my sincere hope that a day will soon come when peace enters the space where your heart is holding the pain of heartbreaking loss."

Another person thanked the Blackwells for their work in education and expressed sadness over the many people whose lives have been lost in the pandemic so far.

Before succumbing to Coronavirus, 61-year-old Paul had previously taught at Kenny Middle School's Young Men's Leadership Academy, before joining Fannin as a P.E. teacher. He taught at Fannin for 5 years.

Paul's wife, Rosa (65) had taught at Travis World Language Academy for 20 years, making her the longest-serving educator at the campus.

The Grand Prairie School District extended their condolences to the Blackwell family, with a mention that school learners at both schools will be receiving counseling.

For information on the health and safety measures surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic, visit The World Health Organization.