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COVID-19 Remembrance: A Granddaughter Says Her Papa Loved Pop Singers Like Adele As Much As She Does

Joseph Anthony Szalkiewicz and his granddaughters. (Courtesy of Jessica Alejandro)
Joseph Anthony Szalkiewicz and his granddaughters. (Courtesy of Jessica Alejandro)

In the U.S., 2,000 people have died of COVID-19 on average per day over the past week.

The number hasn’t been that high since the winter, when Jessica Alejandro of Queens, New York, lost her grandfather to COVID-19. Joseph Anthony Szalkiewicz was 78.

She said he was eligible to get vaccinated, but it was a chaotic time when vaccines were not easily available and he was holding out to get one from his doctor. Unfortunately, he was still on a waiting list when he died.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young shares Alejandro’s memories of her Papa.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.