âIâll see you in heaven.â
It was the last thing Al Braccolino, 90, of Crown Point, told one of his daughters as paramedics loaded him into an ambulance Nov. 16. COVID-19 forced him into the final fight of his life.
Ten days later, the chair Al usually occupied at the Thanksgiving table would sit empty. The husband to his wife of 70 years, father of three and grandfather of six died on the holiday.
Alâs daughter, Sandra Noe, was herself suffering from COVID-19, which she contracted while caring for her sick parents, when the virus forced Alâs hospitalization.
Noe, 66, is no stranger to helping elderly shut-ins weather isolation.
WATCH NOW: Planning propels Crown Point ahead for another busy year
nwitimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nwitimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Â
Hospitals in Northwest Indiana have been at the center of the Regionâs response to COVID-19 throughout the yearlong global pandemic.
They put off elective surgeries and other non-urgent treatments last year to repurpose space for extra intensive care beds during several peak periods of coronavirus infection. Currently they are injecting hundreds of people each day with the COVID-19 vaccine that everyone hopes will bring an end to the health care emergency.
A rendering of the new Franciscan Health hospital in Crown Point shows the main entrance of the hospital. Provided
Through it all though, some Region hospital leaders have had to keep one eye on the present and another looking toward the future, as several major hospital and health care construction projects currently underway promise to make available more dynamic and innovative treatment options for Northwest Indiana residents in a post-pandemic world.
WATCH NOW: The Times photos of the week
Gary Students Return to the Classroom
Gary Community School Corp. students line up on the morning of Feb. 22 at Banneker Elementary at Marquette to have their temperatures checked. It was the students first day back in nearly a year for in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. John Luke, The Times
Gary Students Return to the Classroom
Elijah Jones, 6 waits to see if he can get into the school Monday morning at Banneker Elementary at Marquette in Gary. where students returned to the classroom for the first time in nearly a year. Banneker Elementary @ Marquette students have their temperature checked at the door and are required to wear masks. About thirteen percent or 70 students opted for in-person classroom learning at Banneker, while the remaining 87 percent will continue with virtual learning, said Principal Chaitra Wade.
early morning Hammond fire on Hohman
A Hammond firefighter sprays water on a fire Sunday morning that destroyed a building in the 6200 block of Hohman Avenue, and left some Hammond residents in the area temporarily without power. Firefighters on the scene said they went out on the call around 2am. The location ironically is very near station 5, which is 6217 Hohman. John Luke
early morning Hammond fire on Hohman
Ice forms on the nozzle of a fire hose as Hammond firefighters battle an Sunday morning fire in the 6200 of Hohman. John Luke, The Times
early morning Hammond fire on Hohman
A Hammond firefighter directs water spray onto a building in the 6200 of Hohman early Sunday morning.
vimarsana © 2020. All Rights Reserved.