Deaf woman Joyce Davis passes away from COVID-19

A deaf woman from Detroit, Michigan, Joyce Davis, passed away due to complications from COVID-19 on Sunday, March 22 in Detroit.

As far as we know, she is the first deaf person in the U.S. to die from coronavirus. She was 71 years old and would have been 72 next month.

This was her sign name. She was a retired teacher from the Detroit Public Schools.

Sheryl Emery, a long-time friend of Joyce, said she was admitted to the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit because she had some breathing issues. Sheryl said the hospital didn’t realize she had the coronavirus until six days later.

SHERYL EMERY:

She went in the hospital because of other health issues. When she was in the hospital, they didn’t find that she had the coronavirus until almost six days after she went in the hospital.

THE DAILY MOTH:

She had pneumonia and COVID-19 and ultimately passed away on Sunday morning.

Sheryl said she is not sure how Joyce contracted the virus, but said she was a very social person who loved to attend church, go shopping, and go out to restaurants.

There is a very high rate of infections here in Michigan, especially in the Detroit area, so Joyce was one of those impacted.

Sheryl said when she last talked with Joyce last week, she had no complaints about her nurses or doctors, but she was frustrated at how the hospital managed interpreters because her interpreters were stretched thin with other assignments at the same time.

SHERYL EMERY:

I know that when Joyce Davis was at the hospital, she explained to me some of her frustrations with the hospital service. She really appreciated all of her interpreters who were assigned to work with her, but the hospital didn’t seem to be very organized for communication access. She said the interpreters worked really hard but often there was only one interpreter scheduled. Sometimes doctors or nurses would come in but the interpreter was already pulled away someplace else in the same hospital. There may have been three or four other deaf patients so one interpreter would have to rotate among them to try and serve all of the deaf people at the same time.

THE DAILY MOTH:

I reached out to the hospital to ask for a response on the delay in diagnosis of COVID-19 and on the interpreting issue, but did not receive an immediate reply. We know that hospitals all over the U.S. are overwhelmed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The details of the funeral and final resting place for Joyce is not yet determined. Sheryl said Joyce’s family is spread out across the states and they are working out the details. We know it is a difficult time to travel and to assemble because of the pandemic.

I asked Sheryl what she remembers about Joyce.

SHERYL EMERY:

She loved deaf children. She was very dedicated to deaf children. She loved her family. She had two children of her own, a son and a daughter.

[Image of Joyce Davis with her adult son and daughter]

I remember that she would always sing. She loved to sing. She loved to praise God. Those are the things I will remember the most about her.

THE DAILY MOTH:

Thank you for your time, Sheryl. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Joyce Davis.

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