A heartbroken daughter whose father tragically died of COVID-19 makes an impassioned plea for acts of kindness in his memory.

Gaby Mammone’s father, Concezio DiVirgilio, 73, from Mississauga, Ontario, tragically passed away despite the best efforts and treatment at Mississauga’s Trillium Hospital.
Sadly, the novel coronavirus took his life.

Gaby’s best friend was her dad and they shared a remarkable, special bond rooted in kindness.
"One of the many lessons my dad taught me was the importance of being kind and to not expect anything in return."

In her dear father’s honour, Gaby is asking everyone to look for opportunities to be kind as the world navigates these uncharted waters
The hashtag she’s associated with it is #BeAwareBeKind

It is suspected that Concezio contracted the virus at his place of work from a carrier with no outward symptoms.
Concezio developed a cough that went away after a few days. Unfortunately when the cough returned, it came back with a vengeance and was accompanied by other symptoms including diarrhea, lethargy, and shortness of breath.

On March 30, Concezio tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately received oxygen. Later that day, he was placed on a ventilator and sadly, never returned home again.
His lungs were severely inflamed and then developed pneumonia.
He went into sepsis and his organs began to shut down.
Less than three weeks later, Concezio passed away on April 17, 2020.

“In my late father’s honour, I’m asking everyone to focus on finding ways to be kind. Call someone who lives alone, deliver groceries to those in need, or mail thank you cards to our frontline workers. Get creative and organize a food drive - have people leave food on their porches and arrange for someone to pick them up and deliver to a food bank. Another nice gesture is to play online games with your friends' children to allow your friends some time to complete their projects. These are only a few examples of how to be kind during this pandemic ”says Gaby.

She hopes that by being kind to others, it will inspire others to do the same.
"If we can give people strength, we will get through this together", said Gaby.

"I miss my dad dearly", cries Gaby.
"I know he would be happier knowing that we are all making conscious efforts to perform small acts of kindness” she continues.
Please support others by showing kindness on and offline.

Gaby’s family is collecting donations to go to the Trillium COVID-19 emergency fund.

http://thcf.convio.net/goto/conceziodivirgilio

Your hospital is depending on community members like you to raise critical funds needed to support frontline staff. As the needs are quickly evolving every day, your donation will be put toward the urgent needs.

Thank you for showing gratitude and kindness to others.