Watch CBS News

'I Still Don't Believe It': Garden Grove Woman Grieves Loss Of Father, Husband To COVID-19

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA) -- Every August for the past 20 years, Donna Nakahara has helped her husband, Glen, prepare classes for his students at Jackie Robinson Academy in Long Beach, where he taught music lessons.

husband

She never thought she'd be spending a late August evening this year with her 14-year-old daughter picking out just the right photo for Glen's memorial.

"I still don't believe it," she said. "I still feel like he's going to come walking in."

Glen Nakahara passed away from coronavirus-related complications on July 26 after seemingly beginning to recover just the day before.

"They were even saying that they were hoping by Monday they could turn off the ventilator," Donna said.

The next day, everything changed. Glen experienced a side effect from his sedative, and the nurses suggested that she FaceTime her husband immediately.

"We just told him how much we loved him..." she said.

grandfather

Just six weeks earlier, Donna also lost her father to COVID-19. She had to say goodbye to him over FaceTime, too.

"It's kind of unbelievable to me right now that I'm even talking about this," she said. "If it wasn't for my daughter, I don't know what I would be thinking."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.