Cal State LA student loses four family members to COVID-19
LOS ANGELES - An LA college student wants us to know how serious COVID-19 is.
Nataly Degante lost four family members to the coronavirus.
First an aunt here in Los Angeles, then her grandmother who'd gone to visit Nataly's father in Mexico, then Nataly's father lost his battle with COVID-19 and then an uncle living here in Los Angeles.
Nataly brought her father's body back to Southern California where he lived before being deported back to Mexico.
Nataly and her father.
The burial was today here in L.A.
In his Mexican border town Donato Ortega worked for the government handing out covid food supplies.
He was only 54.
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He and the grandmother had been taken to Albuquerque, New Mexico for treatment before succumbing to COVID-19.
Nataly is speaking out because "We want to keep other people safe and not have to go to funeral after funeral after funeral."
In June Nataly got her associates college degree at East LA college. Now her Cal State LA schooling is on hold as she handles family matters.
The married mother of two is working on her bachelor's degree in the school of social work.
Friends have set up a GoFundme page to help her pay for her father's burial.
One college professor also is helping ,selling his vinyl records to help with funeral expenses.
Her mom and sister living in Mexico also tested positive but were not hospitalized.
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