Brenda E. Cortez is a living kidney donor to another mom, which is what inspired her to write her first children's book. She is the creator of Howl the Owl© (plush owl and book series) and his special message of Help Others With Love.

Brenda's experiences have sparked her passion to make a difference in the world through her books, including her latest non-fiction book, "Voices-19", and now the stories she helps others bring to life.

Today’s guests, Brenda Cortez and Gina Sirico, give a voice to those we lost to Covid-19. Their legacies will live on forever by their stories that are told. In this beautiful book, 19 grieving families celebrate their loved ones' lives by sharing their stories.

Voices-19:Their Legacies Live On was written to celebrate the lives of those lost to COVID-19. Those lost to this virus are not just a number or a statistic. They are our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers,our aunts and uncles, our grandparents, cousins, friends and even our children. It's time to humanize the numbers that you see on the news daily. Covid is real. Ask anyone of these families left behind to grieve.

These beautiful souls made a difference to the world and impacted many lives, perhaps even your life.

Everyone in the world has been affected by the pandemic but for almost 1 million families in the USA alone, their lives will never be the same, and no one will ever be back to “normal”. Together we can be the empathy and compassion for those families left behind experiencing PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder. So many were unable to say goodbye or to be with their loved ones as they took their last breath, due to Covid restrictions, while others had no funeral services or were able to witness their loved one’s burial. This grief is like no other.

It is my hope that this episode educates, inspires and changes your perspective to understand those that were lost to Covid-19, were not just a number, they were human beings, who have made a difference, touched our lives and are still loved and missed today. Please say their names with me!

Please join us today to hear stories of bravery, hope and inspiration.

To learn more about these families or to contact one or all of them, please contact Brenda E. Cortez at:

https://www.bcbooksllc.com/voices19 or [email protected]

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If you have a “Starting Over” story you’d like to share or if you are feeling stuck, lost faith in yourself, and having difficulty seeing the joy through challenges, lets chat:

Mary A Markham