Samrah Rashid loved her uncle. Most people who met him did. To him, community was more than a word, it was a creed in which one took an active role improving the world around them. And as an energetic, healthy 65-year-old, no one, certainly, would have thought they’d be saying goodbye so soon. But for the millions of people affected by COVID-19, the unthinkable was their most sudden reality.
In April, 2021, Saeed-Ul Hassan tested positive for COVID-19. Midway through Canada’s third wave of the pandemic, the virus was relentless. Samrah remembers the shock of learning about her uncle’s diagnosis.
“It was two days after his birthday,” Samrah says. “I have no idea how he contracted COVID. He never left his home.”
Initially, Saeed was taken to Credit Valley Hospital, in Mississauga. But as his condition worsened, he was put on a ventilator and transferred to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Since public health restrictions limited visitors, only a single member of his family was able to see him in hospital, one time.
However, Saeed’s family never felt out of touch. Thanks to LHSC’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, supported entirely by donors of London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), some 50 iPads were purchased to keep patients connected with their loved ones during the pandemic. Samrah commends the nurses’ attention to detail.
“Before going on FaceTime, they would always make sure his hair was brushed and his face was shaved. He always liked to be clean-shaven.”
As the end drew nearer, Saeed’s nurse let the family know whoever was around to say goodbye, now was the time. Samrah arranged everything, and from 5:00am until 11:21pm on May 21st, more than 70 people from around the world were able to pay their respects to a man who’d been such an influential figure in their lives.
“People were coming out the woodwork,” Samrah says, still in awe. “Some told stories about first meeting him in the ‘80s or how he’d helped them get their SIN card when they first came to Canada.”
As night fell, it was time for immediate family members to come together. First, Saeed’s son spoke, then his daughter. Finally, his wife, who’d selected a prayer from their Holy Book. It was a prayer of oneness; of the departure from one world and the return to another. And at the prayer’s very last word, Saeed passed away peacefully, with all who loved him seeing him off.
“I can’t even begin to explain how tremendous it was having these iPads,” Samrah says. “I’m eternally grateful my family was able to have those last moments with him.”
For the donors of LHSF, who know the importance of connection and support, the COVID-19 Relief Fund was a natural response to one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. For Samrah and her family, it was a chance for togetherness despite the distance; to celebrate the life of a man who dedicated himself to goodness and compassion, one last time.