Couldn't visit him in the hospital. Couldn't say goodbye. Can't have a funeral. Can't have a Shiva house. My father is dead and these people talk about it like it's nothing.

This man deserved a funeral. He pulled people out of fires for 25 years. Cops and firefighters would have honored him. But nope. Tomorrow he'll be cremated. We can pick up the ashes whenever. And that's it.

please do use this or my other threads if you know people who are still in denial about this virus. my father would be fine knowing that his story helped save another life.

for those who've asked: I believe my mother is going to start a gofundme account to buy the hospital staff a bunch of meals. I'll share the link when that's up. That seems like a good way to honor Joel's memory.

pertinent facts:

my father lived in an assisted living facility. Not a nursing home, but the gov't might consider them the same thing. No idea.

Joel had bad legs but no respiratory issues to speak of.

He was diagnosed, he fought for a week, and he died. Healthy his whole life.

Joel was 74. If this was the flu or a normal virus he would have gotten past it. Trust me on that. But this thing just destroyed his lungs. I'll spare you the additional details, which are terrible.

And if all of this wasn't painful enough I now have to hear about these atrocious monsters who try to minimize the risks. Every day. To millions of viewers. And every single lie stabs me in the fucking heart.

And for the record, yes. The doctors tried that one medicine. I have no idea if did nothing, or if it made him worse, but it was a last-ditch effort.

Thank you all for the kind words. They are appreciated.

My condolences to anyone else who has lost someone to the virus.

Thank you all. We couldn't sit Shiva for Joel but at least 80,000 people know his name and his story now. To me that's more important.

My mother got a card from the ICU staff offering their condolences. Noticed it had no postmark. Which means they had someone drive it over. Very sweet.

Also my mom's boss sent her flowers. One neighbor made her a cake and left it on the doorstep.

Dear @phillymayor, I'd like to propose a day to memorialize any Philadelphia police and firefighters lost to the virus. I'm sure you'd agree that our city's heroes deserve better than what happened to my father.

It would be impossible to thank everyone who sent me a kind message (even if it was just a like) or shared this thread. Just know that I appreciate all of it.

My father's ashes were delivered to my mom today. Yes, delivered. This whole thing has been so surreal.

My mom's work friends set up a gofundme campaign and raised over $1,500 to feed the medical staff who took care of my father for a week.

Some time later this year I'll visit the hospital and thank them in person.

Trying to decide if/where to spread my father's ashes. The only places he liked were Atlantic City, firehouses, and Veterans Stadium, which doesn't even exist anymore.

For the past two days all I can think about is that my father spent seven days in the hospital and then died without seeing one member of his family.