COVID Survivors, Victims' Families March Across Brooklyn Bridge

NEW YORK CITY — It was 16-year-old Hannah Elizabeth Ernst's first time crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. But instead of her grandpa Cal by her side, there were over 200 strangers who had become new family — they were survivors of COVID-19, including long haulers, and like Ernst, family members of the pandemic's victims.

The Aug. 7 march was organized by Ernst, Rosie Davis of Yellow Heart Memorial and COVID Survivors for Change. Ernst, of New Jersey, founded Faces of COVID Victims in August 2020 following her grandfather's death after he contracted COVID-19.

Davis created Yellow Heart Memorial after her mother Mary Castro, a 75-year-old retired nurse, died at her Dallas nursing home on May 17 due to the illness — just a week after Ernst's grandfather, Cal Schoenfeld, passed away at the age of 83.

"I had lost my mom two months into the pandemic," Davis told Patch. "We have embraced other people by memorializing their loved ones. We are a safe space, a place of healing."

"I've never had anyone that I was as close to as my grandpa pass," Ernst told Patch. "And then losing him, where we can't be with him, we couldn't see him aside from FaceTiming him while he was on a ventilator — I would never wish upon anybody. It was awful."

While dozens of other cities held their own marches, many traveled to New York City for the flagship event, some from as far away as California. Flying in from Texas, Davis linked up with Ernst and together they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

"We called for that to be a national COVID awareness day," said Davis. "It felt amazing to be with that many survivors all on one bridge that day."

Faces of Covid Victims started with a single drawing. Ernst had been sitting on the couch one day when she decided to draw her grandfather. Ernst's mother shared the memorial drawing on a COVID-19 support group.

"People just started [saying], 'I would love for my loved one to be drawn the same way,'" Ernst said. "Being able to memorialize my grandpa, who was an artist himself, and do the same for other people has just been astronomically helpful."

Ernst said she's made about 2,500 memorials at this point.

"I've done people on both sides of the aisle, Republicans, Democrats, whomever," Ernst said. "I've done people of all different natures, of all different ethnicities. I've done a five-year-old who passed. I did a four-month-old who passed away. I mean, she didn't even get the chance to live. I've done people over a century old."

Davis, who didn't know Ernst at the time, had requested her mother, Mary, to be drawn. Ernst believes Davis invited her on board to the Yellow Heart Memorial because it would be "a really good opportunity to enable someone else to have an outlet to grieve." Davis had selected yellow hearts, a movement that originated in the U.K., after seeing them in social media support groups for families of COVID-19 victims.

Ernst and Davis are among many who are determined to honor and memorialize the mothers, grandfathers, sisters, sons and community members who lost their lives. They decided to do this by writing names, drawing faces and adding messages and prayers to the yellow hearts.

"I did not want my mom to disappear into history with just a number," said Davis. "I feel like we as survivors are reliving this all over again. It makes me think about my mom, the loss that I suffered, how many more people we are going to lose. Because that is the raw truth. This virus should have never been political from the very beginning. And there's people that still consider this virus political."

"I really wish people just would listen to the science behind everything instead of just personal opinions," Ernst said.

Atonement being sought include prioritizing COVID survivors in the American Rescue Plan and relief resources, supporting children of COVID victims and long haulers through mental health resources and financial support and memorializing those who have lost their lives to the virus.

Those who marched — long haulers, widows and widowers, family members, friends and supporters — wore yellow in remembrance of those who died and in support of those who are still battling or have survived their battles. There were 17 organizations who joined in on the cause, such as COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, Long COVID Support, Mask Together America and Pandemic of Love.

Other marches took place across the country in cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, Charlotte, Austin and Albuquerque. More than one million steps were taken collectively, surpassing the goal of 615,000 steps, one for every person killed by COVID-19 in the U.S.

Davis and her team are currently working on installing permanent memorials, such as a bench or a wall with labeled hearts — in every state. So far, there are four permanent memorials planned in California, Texas and Missouri.

An event is planned for Long Island on Aug. 22 where 3,000 yellow hearts, the most Davis has seen requested so far, will be displayed on a memorial. Floating lanterns will also be lit and released during the ceremony. A yellow heart memorial can also be viewed at the Yeh Art Gallery in Jamaica, Queens until Aug. 12.

"We want to make sure when we are out of this pandemic that there is something that honors our loved ones and that they're never forgotten and never erased with time," said Davis.

"I am only 16, so I have camp, school and SATs coming up," said Ernst. "But, you know, losing my grandpa, it was just the most horrible thing I've had to go through, but all I really can do is just continue on with my project to honor our loved ones."