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COVID-19 Survivors Honor Those Lost With Splash of Yellow During July 4th Celebrations

More than 600,000 Americans have died after contracting COVID-19

NBCUniversal, Inc.

In stark contrast to the Fourth of July just a year ago, people were eager to break out the picnic tables and grills Sunday. But, for many it’s a day without a loved one lost to COVID-19.

One North Texas woman is asking her fellow Americans to stand in solidarity with those still dealing with the pain of that loss.

Like many others, Rosie Davis enjoyed the Fourth of July holiday on Sunday, complete with cupcakes and decorations. Sitting among the red, white and blue decor inside her house, were splashes of yellow.

“This is a turning point for our country and we just want to make sure that our loved ones are remembered,” she said.

Davis is founder of the Yellow Heart Memorial, created after the loss of her mother to COVID-19. She’s among the family members impacted by the more than 600,000 COVID-19-related deaths in United States. For them, holidays will never be the same.

“We’re always going to have that missing part of our family,” she said. “We’ll never get them back.”

Davis teamed up with Chris Kocher with COVID Survivors for Change to launch the Add Yellow Campaign – a splash of yellow on one's clothing or decorations in solidarity with those lost and the loved ones left behind.

“Just a simple way to say, ‘At the same time, I’m remembering and honoring all the lives that have been changed forever.’ And it’s not an either-or. We can do both,” Kocher said. “We can celebrate that fewer people are being infected and at the same time remember the families devastated by COVID over the past year.”

Davis said it's encouraging to know her mother and the names and faces of others won’t be forgotten.

“The yellow heart has become our symbol and that’s how we identify each other,” she said. “When we see other people supporting us it means more than they know.”

Davis is working with cities throughout the United States to add permanent Yellow Heart Memorials to public spaces in honor of those lost.

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