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Coronavirus Victims: Wife, Mother And Grandmother Elisa Hinojosa

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Now to a more personal story about loss and the pandemic.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

A lot changed in the 26 years that Randy and Elisa Hinojosa were married, but not their song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NEON MOON")

BROOKS AND DUNN: (Singing) Now, if you lose your one and only, there's always room here for the lonely.

SHAPIRO: That's "Neon Moon" by Brooks & Dunn. It was the soundtrack to the Hinojosas' life together. But now it's the soundtrack to a memorial video put together by Elisa's family.

CHANG: Randy Hinojosa spoke with News 4 in San Antonio after the TikTok video went viral. Both he and Elisa contracted the coronavirus in September. He got better, but she didn't. She fought for five weeks and died on October 25.

RANDY HINOJOSA: (Crying) I had to tell her, I'm sorry. I wish it was me. But it was time for her to go see her daddy and go get her wings.

SHAPIRO: On a GoFundMe page for memorial and medical costs, Randy remembered Elisa as a woman with an inspiring boss-lady mentality and a smile that was beyond contagious, someone whose hugs felt like home.

CHANG: They have three children together and two grandchildren. And every morning until the end, Randy would kiss her forehead before heading out into the world.

HINOJOSA: (Crying) 26 years of marriage - COVID took her away from me in five weeks - five weeks. It's not supposed to happen.

SHAPIRO: Elisa Hinojosa was 54 when she died last month.

(SOUNDBITE OF BROOKS AND DUNN SONG, "NEON MOON") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.