16,000 Dead In Illinois: Remembering Those We Lost To Coronavirus

ILLINOIS— The United States recently surpassed yet another devastating milestone. To date, more than 344,000 Americans have lost their lives to the coronavirus. In Illinois, the state marked its own grim milestone before the end of 2020, surpassing 16,000 Illinoisans dead from the virus.

It’s an impossible number. It’s also impossible to convey the full extent of the losses using only numbers.

Every death meant more than a statistic. A child lost his mother; a mother lost her child and maybe her own mother, too. A community lost a teacher, a mentor, a student, a coach. The front line lost a nurse, a doctor, an EMT, a hospital orderly.

Coronavirus Deaths Top 15,000 In Illinois Amid Vaccine Delays

We all lost some of our heroes.

Here at Patch, we know your friends, families and loved ones are more than numbers. As we mark more than 1.8 million deaths worldwide at the hands of the coronavirus, we want to help you remember them. We want others to know them. We want to help you share their stories.

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Do you have a story to share? Using the form below, we invite you to tell us about the loved ones you've lost — who they were, what they enjoyed and what difference they made in your life. You can also submit a photo. All tributes will then be compiled in a searchable virtual memorial.