New website creates outlet for Kentuckians who’ve lost loved ones during pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WKYT) - A new website is creating a space for people to mourn their loved ones taken by COVID-19.

Who We Lost Kentucky was created by Louisville poet and writer, Martha Greenwald.

She said she was inspired when Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack asked Kentuckians to send him letters during the pandemic.

“Last fall, Dr. Stack issued a challenge to Kentuckians….asking them to send him snail mail about how they felt about what was going on with the pandemic,” she said.

Kentuckians, or individuals with loved ones who live in this state, can submit blog entries about those who died from the virus.

Greenwald said the entries go beyond an obituary.

“It feels strange to use the word ‘happy’ over something like this, but it makes me glad that they’ve found a place where they can go and tell what they need to,” she said.

She said, even with new mask guidance from the CDC, this pandemic doesn’t feel close to being over for many Kentuckians.

“It actually makes me feel like we need the site maybe even more than we did a few months ago, because I’ve heard from a lot of people who feel very left behind by all of this, because there is all this joy and deservedly so about the vaccine, about things getting better, but if you’ve lost someone you don’t necessarily feel that way right now,” Greenwald said.

The website’s founding director said there’s no commenting on the website. She said, that way, people can share their stories without fear of criticism.

“This site is not social media. A lot of people feel that they can’t post on social media because they get comments that are negative from either people denying the virus, or from people who leave something that’s really deprecating about the person who died,” she said.

The site is free to use and visit.

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