Overview

In the earliest days of the pandemic, Covid-19 cut a deadly path through Pennsylvania's nursing homes. When the governor hinted at closing the facilities to the public, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter JoAnne Klimovich Harrop had no doubt in what she would do as a result. One hour before the doors of her mother's Pittsburgh nursing home closed, JoAnne walked away from all that was precious her husband, her home, and her career to live in her 93-year-old mother's 250-square-foot room for the next three months. She slept on a cot next to her mother's bed, ate meals with her, and showered in a shared room with other residents. They talked about life, death, and her mother's beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. They laughed, cried, and thanked God they were together. Eventually, the pandemic proved to be the least of their problems. Midway through JoAnne's stay, her mother was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. Amid her turmoil, JoAnne learned that she would be among the many reporters furloughed as the pandemic sapped her company's revenues. Her story, first appearing in the pages of the Tribune-Review, elicited an outpouring of raw, poignant introspection as readers asked themselves what they would do in her situation. Eventually, JoAnne left the nursing home to rejoin the life she had left behind to be with her mother. The return to her former life and the mental anguish that came with it proved more difficult than she could have ever imagined. This story, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, chronicles the joy and pain of their time together. ""A Daughter's Promise"" reveals the bond between a mother and daughter that was so strong, not even a global pandemic could tear them apart.

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JoAnne Klimovich Harrop has been a reporter for the Tribune-Review for more than 25 years. A graduate of Penn State University, she has received numerous awards for her work. The story of her days in lockdown with her mother was first published in 2021 in the Tribune-Review and received a National Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in feature reporting. She resides in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with her husband, Perry.

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