Rosie Davis remembers her mother’s exact words the last time they spoke. It was just a few days after Mother’s Day 2020 when she died.
“Her last words to me were, ‘when you get to heaven, we’ll look for each other,’” said Davis. “I was picking up her stuff from the nursing home. All of her gifts untouched. The tags still on her clothes.”
Mary Castro lost her life to COVID-19. Since then, Davis made it her mission to bring awareness to the virus. She even started the Yellow Heart Memorial in her mother’s memory. On Tuesday, however, she felt like she was reliving one of the worst days of her life.
“I feel like I lost my mom all over again today,” said Davis. “All those emotions, they just came back today.”
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
The moment Gov. Greg Abbott announced he’d lift the mask mandate and reopen businesses 100%, her phone started buzzing. There was no other way to digest the news. It was a major blow.
“All the phone calls just started coming in. And people were like, ‘Are you OK?’ And I’m just like, ‘No, I’m not OK,’” she said. “I’m very angry. I’m angry because I feel like as constituents we’re being treated like collateral damage."
She said she feels the governor isn’t considering those whose lives have been forever changed over the last year. As for the masks, she will continue wearing them, distancing and avoiding crowded places. She said her mother will be at the forefront of everything she does.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“My mom’s life, her memory is too important,” Davis said. “And I’m not going to let her be treated like she’s a number because she’s not.”
For COVID-19 best safety practices from the CDC, click here.
