CONCORD, N.C. — Steve Thompson is mourning the death of his mother, after she lost her battle with COVID-19. He believes he exposed her to it after a gathering.
"COVID stole my mom," Thompson said, as he held back tears. "The hole that she left, is never going to get filled, she was just a beautiful person."
The 82-year-old faithful matriarch, Shirley Ann Morris Thompson, loved her best friend and husband, Bill, for nearly 61 years. She loved being a mom even more, her son said.
She had four boys but she mothered far more than she bore, according to her son.
"I never saw her smile more than when she was around those children," Thompson explained.
She loved family, and would always offer you food or a meal when you walked into her home, Thompson said.
"She was amazing," he noted.
To many, she was an angel on earth who met her maker on Dec. 1, 2020.
"When we were able to say goodbye to her, on the 30th (of November) and we said our goodbyes, she passed the next morning," Thompson said as he started to get emotional. "No one from home, nobody she loved (was) beside her."
Her lonely death came after Thompson admits he made a mistake.
The Concord man flew back home to Kentucky to help care for his parents -- both in their 80s -- and give his brother a break. While he was there, he gathered with extended relatives which was a tradition before their deer hunting season began.
"We played cards, we relaxed, we had a good time, and then we all took it home to our families," he said.
He believes someone had COVID-19 at the gathering, although they'll likely never know who. Thompson said several of his relatives contracted the virus after everyone went home.
It wasn't long before Thompson fell ill at his parents' house. Soon after, his mom and dad became positive, too.
"Mom started her symptoms then dad, and they both ended up in the hospital," he explained.
They had several of the common symptoms, but for Thompson's mom, it hit harder. When she couldn't walk to the car to go to the hospital, Thompson called for an ambulance.
"They couldn't control her breathing, her heart was starting to show problems," he said.
Thompson's father weathered the virus and was discharged. His mother lost her battle in a COVID-19 unit.
A nurse, also named Shirley, was the only one by her side.
"This was a young nurse, who looked to me like an aged war veteran," he said as he explained the toll the pandemic is taking on healthcare workers. "Pray for them."
Guilt is something Thompson feels currently, and admits it will be a process to overcome, if at all.
"We were reckless, and brought this back to our families, and we're having to pay for that, and I have to live with that," he said.
He also is crushed knowing his father lost his wife and his world.
"My father is just devastated," Thompson said. "It's like losing half his body."
Thompson knows the faith that his mother instilled in him will get him through, but he's warning others not to make the same mistake.
"I don't want anyone else to go through this," he said. "I’m asking people to look across the room at the pictures you have of the family that you love and really asking yourself, 'Who do I want to lose by just getting together for Thanksgiving or Christmas, when I can have them next year?'"
Thompson said his mother had a small funeral service, within COVID-19 restrictions, yet dozens of people lined the streets to pay their respects -- showing the impact his mother made on many.
He plans to have a larger memorial service for his mother once it is safe to do so.