Former Galena Park Police officer, father of 7, dies from COVID-19

CYPRESS - A family is devastated over the loss of their loved-one killed by COVID-19.

A former Galena Park Police Officer, 57-year-old Danny Lopez, died on January 27th.

"If you do go to the hospital, say your goodbyes," said Danny’s wife Sabrina Lopez.  "Hugs.  Kisses.  Don’t think you’re just going to see them in a minute.  It can turn that fast.  Never did I think the Coronavirus would attack somebody’s body the way it attacked my husband’s healthy body."

Sabrina and Danny have 7 children together and were married for 33 years.  Their youngest child is 7-years-old.

"He’s not going to be here for his grandchildren, or his daughters," said Sabrina.  "That’s that hardest part."

According to Lopez, her husband first got sick in mid-December.  What started as a runny-nose quickly worsened.  Within roughly 2 weeks, Lopez says Danny had a heart attack.

"Nobody thinks this is going to happen [to them]," said Lopez.  "When he did go into the hospital, I really did think he was going to come in and come out."

Lopez says one of the hardest parts of the process was not being able to visit her sick husband at the hospital.

"They do a zoom outside a glass door," said Lopez.  "[They treated him] like a caged animal.  There’s a glass door.  You can’t talk to them.  They can’t hear you."

Lopez says hospital visitation rules made if challenging to speak with doctors and nurses.  Hospital rules wouldn’t allow guests to visit, even during Danny’s final moments.  A process Lopez hopes hospitals will change soon, especially when they notice a patient’s health is taking a possibly deadly turn.

"That’s what beats me up the most," said Lopez.  "We weren’t given the chance to say goodbye.  I don’t want this for anyone else.  This is horrible.  He was my first everything.  My first everything.  My first love.  Life is just never going to be the same."