Raiden Gonzalez will turn 5 years old this month, but he will be celebrating without his parents, who both died of COVID-19 this year, NBC News reports.
Raiden's dad, Adan, who was working as a truck driver, was hospitalized on June 3 after testing positive for the coronavirus, said Rozie Salinas, Raiden's maternal grandmother. Health care workers told the family that "he was one of the two sickest at the hospital," Salinas said. He died weeks later on June 26 at age 33.
Raiden's mom, Mariah, 29, was still grieving the death of her husband when she died suddenly on Oct. 5, just hours after she had started feeling ill, Salinas said. The hospital later confirmed to the family that Mariah had tested positive for COVID-19.
Though still in mourning herself, Salinas wanted to do something special for Raiden's birthday on Nov. 28 and came up with an idea for a drive-by celebration parade.
"We have several truck clubs, bikers, Mustang clubs, classic cars, Jeep clubs, plus the fire department. It’s going to be a huge turnout," Salinas said.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com
