South Florida has lost hundreds to COVID-19. They all had stories. Help us tell them

Alex Harris
·2 min read

As the death toll from the coronavirus now tops 1,000 in Miami-Dade County alone, the grim numbers can obscure the loss each death represents.

The pandemic has not only robbed families and friends of loved ones but is fraying at the rich fabric of South Florida. People, famous and humble, make this multicultural place so endlessly interesting and the Miami Herald in coming months hopes to tell as many of their stories as possible.

There’s Jennifer Lee Brignoni, a Special Olympian whose family loving knew as “Panda” for her warmth and kindness. The 34-year-old had dreams of a family, a house to call her own and a career. COVID-19 cut those short.

There’s Joseph Lawrence Hawkins, a renowned thoroughbred trainer and owner who worked at nearly every track in South Florida, while raising five daughters. “He really loved us and took care of us,” his daughter said. Equally notable, Hawkins, 87, was a Black man in a racing trade dominated by rich white folks.

There’s Juan “Pepe” Jose Gracia, a 66-year-old mechanic who caught the virus along with his 92-year-old mother. She survived; he didn’t.

There’s Chandra Haniff, a nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach for 25 years, a breast cancer survivor and a grandmother who cooked “like she was feeding an entire army” to make a single guest feel welcome.

With the statewide death toll over 3,500 and growing, there are and will be far too many more losses.

The Herald, with your help, intends to recount the lives of the people South Florida has lost to COVID-19. We’ve created a digital page to memorialize the victims of the virus and are working in collaboration with undergraduate students from FIU’s Department of Journalism + Media. They are contributing to the effort, with their work directed and overseen by two of the school’s professors, Dan Evans and Chuck Strouse.

You can find these stories on the Miami Herald website here, which will be regularly updated.

We also are seeking help from the community to tell these stories. Please, if someone you know or love has been lost to COVID-19, help us tell their stories by filling out this form and sharing memories and photos of South Floridians who lose their lives to the pandemic.