With the death toll of coronavirus ever-rising, there's a tendency to look just look at the figures.
As Brendan Gleeson echoed on last week's Late Late Show, death is individual, and people who die aren't just figures in a wider toll.
This sentiment is continually forgotten, unless the disease has touched those close to you.
During the week, a poem written by Dorothy Duffy, originally from Mayo, was shared throughout the world. It tackles the death of her sister, Rose 'Billy' Mitchell, who died due to the coronavirus.
The poem beautifully illustrates how 'Billy' is not a statistic, nor just another elderly person stuck down by this virus, but a unique and effervescent woman who touched all see encountered.
The poem was shared by RTE and BBC radio during the week, and was shown tonight on The Late Late Show, bringing the sentiment home.
Here is 'My Sister is Not a Statistic' by Dorothy Duffy:
My Sister is Not a Statistic by Dorothy Duffy.
A tribute to her sister Rose 'Billy' Mitchell who lost her life to Covid19.#LateLate pic.twitter.com/Gn8AEJA1od— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) April 17, 2020
Ryan Tubridy echoed the poem's themes, and tackled the 'lack of humanity' that surround crises like the coronavirus.
"Behind each number is a name. Behind each name is a door into a life".
Tubridy continued that tonight, 'Billy' felt like everyone's grandmother, with Dorothy Duffy's glowing tribute offering a window into the life of a wonderful woman.
It is a notable reminder of what this virus is taking away from us. Of course, our liberties of everyday life are impacted, but looking greater than ourselves, we must continue to stay at home in order to curb this virus and leave it behind us.
If we don't, we'll continue to view death as a stat, we'll continue to see people like Billy not get the send-off they deserve because we can't gather as one.
Billy is not a statistic, and neither is anyone else who succumbs to this disease.
Rest in peace Rose 'Billy' Mitchell.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.
