Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia On Losing His Mother To COVID-19

For most public officials, battling the coronavirus and keeping their constituents safe is an incredible professional challenge.

For Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, it's also personal: His mother died of COVID-19 complications last month at age 61.

His mother, Gaby O'Donnell, was a medical assistant for more than 25 years in Southern California. She immigrated from her native Peru with 5-year-old Garcia and other family members in 1982.

"My mom was not just an amazing woman, but she was my best friend and lived such a great and joyous life," Garcia tells NPR's Noel King. "And to lose her is very difficult. But I also know that her work as a health care worker was so important to her, especially in this moment. So we'll do everything we can to honor her and to continue to keep people safe."