As close as you can get: Navigating loss in the time of coronavirus

Washington State was hit early and tragically by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the virus ravaged nursing homes throughout Western Washington. As statewide lockdowns were going into effect and numbers of cases and deaths rapidly stacked up in March 2020, we needed to personalize this pandemic, show the humanity of it and the impact on families and individuals.

When Hoang Dinh Nguyen, 72, fell ill with COVID-19 in his Issaquah nursing home, his family could not be with him, nor could they be with each other. Still, they found ways to connect — and sustain each other — despite keeping physical distance. This short film follows their journey and their family’s legacy of resilience and survival.

Filmed and edited by Lauren Frohne, with photos and video contributed by the Nguyen family.
Read Nina Shapiro’s text and see Erika Schultz’s photographs on seattletimes.com