Texas’ inaugural COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day: UMC honors six who died

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Monday marks four years since doctors reported the first case of COVID-19 in the state of Texas. The two years that followed saw healthcare workers selflessly providing care including some who died after catching it themselves. Texas is honoring their sacrifice, including here in Lubbock.

Mark Funderburk, the CEO of University Medical Center, told KCBD how it is commemorating the six staff members it lost to the pandemic.

“The legislature established today as the inaugural Texas COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day,” Funderburk said.

On March 4, the lives of many changed and healthcare workers dove in to do what they do best.

“When you see them just taking such delicate and wonderful care yet at their own expense they were tied, they were tired, the staff was weary,” Funderburk said.

Caring not only for their patients, who were battling COVID-19, but also working tirelessly to update their families who couldn’t be there due to protocols; steadfast work that left a hole in the UMC family.

“We lost six of our own - employees, our team members - during COVID and so this garden is here to recognize, to celebrate the great work that was done, the impact, the lives that were saved,” Funderburk said.

In 2022, UMC established its Honor Garden, a place to memorialize those six that UMC lost and to remind those who are serving now all that was laid down before them.

“The staff that continued to care, they continued to sacrifice they need a place to come to take perspective. This is where we were, this is what we have accomplished, these are the lives that were impacted and so I think in coming years folks will find comfort and they will find strength because they did this years ago,” Funderburk said.

From now on, Texas hospitals will use March 4 to honor the healthcare heroes who battled the global pandemic.

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