On the same day that President Joe Biden stopped to acknowledge the grim milestone of half a million COVID-19 deaths, a beloved Frisco teacher was remembered after losing his battle with the virus. Children as young as grade school and middle school-age are grappling with the loss of a well-known and liked teacher: Courtney Yarbough.
He made such an impact at Leadership Prep School in Frisco that people would come out on Monday night and fill gym bleachers to honor him.
Yarbough’s wife Kim never imagined a memorial service for her husband at this point in life, with four children to raise. However, an onset of symptoms two weeks ago changed everything.
“When he said he couldn’t muster up the energy to grab something from the store to prepare a meal for the night, I was a bit concerned,” Kim Yarbough said.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
It was a whirlwind from there. A positive COVID-19 test and a persistent cough, followed by swift hospital admission.
“Seeing your loved one lying in bed with a machine breathing for them is life-changing. I completely lost it,” Yarbough said. “I immediately sucked it up and said, ‘Hey Courtney you gotta fight, OK?’ And he shook his head yes. And then I said, ‘No Courtney, I’m not kidding, you gotta keep fighting.’”
Days later, she said a final prayer with her husband and started the journey of life without him.
“Last night was our first night back at home,” she said. “The pain was indescribable for me and our four kids.”
Monday night, surrounded by her husband’s colleagues and students, she was comforted by memories and the lives he touched. She’s asking anyone who will listen to continue to take the coronavirus seriously.
“If you can hear stories like mine, I don’t want you to have to walk in my shoes,” she said. "You need to look beyond just yourself. It's about looking out for your neighbors."
For more information on COVID-19 cases and data, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
