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| ‘She was like a mom to everybody’: Beloved matriarch of Columbia Heights dies of covid-19 | ‘She was like a mom to everybody’: Beloved matriarch of Columbia Heights dies of covid-19 |
| (21 days later) | |
| Maria Elena Velasquez never cooked small. | Maria Elena Velasquez never cooked small. |
| Heaps of carne asada, tons of tamales, a large enough batch of sopa de mondongo to feed her children, grandchildren and any neighbors who might come calling. | Heaps of carne asada, tons of tamales, a large enough batch of sopa de mondongo to feed her children, grandchildren and any neighbors who might come calling. |
| Sometimes, her daughter Flor Morales said, she would cook out on the porch and offer food to almost anyone who walked past. | Sometimes, her daughter Flor Morales said, she would cook out on the porch and offer food to almost anyone who walked past. |
| Velasquez lived in a three-floor house in Northwest Washington with two of her children and seven grandchildren. She rented out two rooms and ran a day-care center out of her home. On Sundays, she drove the church van to Wheaton, Md., and on her way collected parishioners who couldn’t make it to services on their own. | Velasquez lived in a three-floor house in Northwest Washington with two of her children and seven grandchildren. She rented out two rooms and ran a day-care center out of her home. On Sundays, she drove the church van to Wheaton, Md., and on her way collected parishioners who couldn’t make it to services on their own. |
| She was always taking care of someone, her daughter said. | She was always taking care of someone, her daughter said. |
| “She was like a mom to everybody,” Morales said. “We had never had problems with anyone in the neighborhood because my mom has always been so open and welcoming with all our vecinos [neighbors].” | “She was like a mom to everybody,” Morales said. “We had never had problems with anyone in the neighborhood because my mom has always been so open and welcoming with all our vecinos [neighbors].” |
| A beloved fixture in the heavily Latino neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Velasquez was known as someone her neighbors could turn to for help. She had a soft spot for those who were like her: immigrants, single mothers, survivors of violence and abuse. | A beloved fixture in the heavily Latino neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Velasquez was known as someone her neighbors could turn to for help. She had a soft spot for those who were like her: immigrants, single mothers, survivors of violence and abuse. |
| But in early April, Velasquez was the one who needed help. She stopped eating, refused to eat the soup her daughter made or drink the herbal tea her granddaughter brewed. | But in early April, Velasquez was the one who needed help. She stopped eating, refused to eat the soup her daughter made or drink the herbal tea her granddaughter brewed. |
| As the days stretched on, her family grew worried. Morales called an ambulance, but Velasquez refused to go to the hospital. She just needed some rest, she said. | As the days stretched on, her family grew worried. Morales called an ambulance, but Velasquez refused to go to the hospital. She just needed some rest, she said. |
| She retreated to her bedroom to sleep, but by the next morning, her health had deteriorated. When paramedics arrived, Morales said, her mother could barely stand. She felt dizzy. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Velasquez needed oxygen to remain conscious. | She retreated to her bedroom to sleep, but by the next morning, her health had deteriorated. When paramedics arrived, Morales said, her mother could barely stand. She felt dizzy. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Velasquez needed oxygen to remain conscious. |
| Morales, who lives in a room upstairs with her husband and three children, said she ran down in time to see her mother hoisted into the back of an ambulance, an oxygen mask strapped over her face. | Morales, who lives in a room upstairs with her husband and three children, said she ran down in time to see her mother hoisted into the back of an ambulance, an oxygen mask strapped over her face. |
| It was the last time she saw her mother alive. | It was the last time she saw her mother alive. |
| Velasquez was diagnosed with covid-19 when she arrived at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She died two days later, on April 7. She was 61. | Velasquez was diagnosed with covid-19 when she arrived at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She died two days later, on April 7. She was 61. |
| “They said she was getting better two days before she passed away,” Morales said. “They told me she was going to be moved into a room. No one ever explained what went wrong. I still have so many questions in my mind.” | “They said she was getting better two days before she passed away,” Morales said. “They told me she was going to be moved into a room. No one ever explained what went wrong. I still have so many questions in my mind.” |
| It was not clear how Velasquez contracted the coronavirus, though several members of her family have continued to work through the pandemic as front-line workers at restaurants and construction sites. | It was not clear how Velasquez contracted the coronavirus, though several members of her family have continued to work through the pandemic as front-line workers at restaurants and construction sites. |
| The family could not have the kind of funeral she would have wanted — filled with people from the community and her Pentecostal church, El Rey Jesús Viene. Instead, seven members of her family attended a burial service last month. | The family could not have the kind of funeral she would have wanted — filled with people from the community and her Pentecostal church, El Rey Jesús Viene. Instead, seven members of her family attended a burial service last month. |
| Arely Andrade, 43, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who lives in the District with her 13-year-old daughter, lived in Velasquez’s home for months as she underwent cancer treatment about six years ago. | Arely Andrade, 43, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who lives in the District with her 13-year-old daughter, lived in Velasquez’s home for months as she underwent cancer treatment about six years ago. |
| Velasquez took care of Andrade’s daughter like she was her own, she said. In the weeks since Velasquez’s death, Andrade said, she has felt as if she lost her own mother — the only mother she had in this country. | Velasquez took care of Andrade’s daughter like she was her own, she said. In the weeks since Velasquez’s death, Andrade said, she has felt as if she lost her own mother — the only mother she had in this country. |
| “She took care of me when I came back from the hospital,” Andrade said. “She was like family.” | “She took care of me when I came back from the hospital,” Andrade said. “She was like family.” |
| Velasquez is survived by nine of her children, scattered throughout the United States and Honduras. | Velasquez is survived by nine of her children, scattered throughout the United States and Honduras. |
| Morales has tried to be steadfast in following her mother’s faith and trust that Velasquez is “in a better place,” but she has struggled with grief as she continues to live in the home they shared, cooking in the kitchen where they made meals side by side. | Morales has tried to be steadfast in following her mother’s faith and trust that Velasquez is “in a better place,” but she has struggled with grief as she continues to live in the home they shared, cooking in the kitchen where they made meals side by side. |
| “I just hate everything that happened. I hate that she’s gone,” Morales said. “I feel like she’s just on a long trip, and she’s going to come and open the door and say, ‘how are you? What are you doing? What are we going to cook today?’ ” | “I just hate everything that happened. I hate that she’s gone,” Morales said. “I feel like she’s just on a long trip, and she’s going to come and open the door and say, ‘how are you? What are you doing? What are we going to cook today?’ ” |
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