Family asks people to help celebrate boy's 5th birthday after he lost parents to COVID-19

In a heartwarming gesture, the family of a 4-year-old boy who lost both his parents due to COVID-19 is leaving no stone unturned to make his fifth birthday a memorable one. Raiden Gonzalez's great-aunt Margie Bryant, whom he fondly calls grandma, wants to find a way to make sure the little boy knows how much he is loved, especially in the absence of his parents.

With Raiden's birthday on Sunday, Bryant told CNN that a 'wave and roar' dinosaur-themed drive-by parade is set for November 28. Bryant, who lives in Houston has asked for help from the Texas community to make Raiden's birthday a memorable one. A local fire department, a Batman entertainer, monster truck clubs, motorcycle clubs and classic car clubs are all due to participate, she added.

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"It's a milestone birthday. We just want him to know that we're going to be there for all of his birthdays and make sure he's celebrated, and I know my niece has the cheesiest grin because she knows her boy is in good hands",  Bryant was quoted as saying by CNN. Raiden lives in San Antonio with his maternal grandmother, Rozie Salinas.

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Tragic loss to COVID-19

Coronavirus stole the lives of Raiden's parents just four months apart, leaving the little boy with only a few years of memories to cherish for a lifetime. The boy's father, Adan Gonzalez Jr. (33), began a new job as a cement truck driver on May 12 where his trainer tested positive for COVID-19, and by May 31, Adan began experiencing what he described to his family as allergy-like symptoms, Bryant said. On June 3, he tested positive for the virus, and six days later, paramedics took him to the ICU, where he spent a little over two weeks before passing away on June 26.

On the other hand, Raiden's mother, Mariah Gonzalez (29), a teacher at a daycare center, had been taking necessary precautions at work by wearing face masks after her husband's demise. She dealt with depression and anxiety after Adnan's demise, the aunt said. However, her physical health seemed fine, Bryant said.

On October 5, Mariah spent the day shopping with her mother, ordered dinner and lived an otherwise normal day, Bryant said. In the evening, Mariah started experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains, so Bryant advised her mother to call the paramedics. She passed at 8:14 on Tuesday morning. The Hospital staff tested Mariah for coronavirus where the first test came back negative but the second test was positive, and within four hours of its result, Mariah had died of COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, as per reports.

The family will hold a funeral service for Adan and Mariah after the holidays, Bryant said. They have also set up a GoFundMe to cover those expenses and others to aid Salinas as Raiden's caregiver, according to a CNN report.

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Image- Unsplash by Xiang Gao