The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Mom who fought COVID calls to say last, ‘I love you,’ to daughter
MILFORD — It was 6:33 a.m. last Monday when “Mommy” flashed across the caller ID and Erica Schulz Taylor was excited to answer.
Her mom, battling COVID-19 at Yale New Haven Hospital, had slept straight for the previous two days, so they couldn’t talk.
“I love you. Bye, bye,” Cheryl Schulz told her only daughter. It was her typical short message — and she ended every conversation with “bye-bye.”
Erica said, “I love you too,” taking comfort that mom sounded stronger and more upbeat than she had.
But 20 minutes later at 6:53, Taylor received another call, this time from a physician assistant in her mother’s room who said, “Your mom’s transitioning. You should come right away.”
Taylor’s fiancé, Dave DiMatteo, a sales and leasing consultant at Napoli Indoor Kia in Milford, ran out to clean the car of ice; Taylor noted that he thoughtfully concentrated on the smallest windshield area to get visibility fast so they could bolt.
“I felt this burning in my heart. I immediately spoke to God and just prayed that mom wasn’t going to struggle,” Taylor said.
By the time they arrived at the hospital, Schulz, 73, was gone.
“I couldn’t believe it. I just talked to her, but that’s COVID,” Taylor said. “She couldn’t fight anymore.”
It was the end of year that brought six months of anguish to the family. Taylor’s father, Schulz’s husband of 53 years, Arthur Schulz, died unexpectedly in August after routine surgery. Cheryl Schulz’s health declined further after losing her husband, so Taylor and DiMatteo moved from Milford to her parents’ home in Stratford to help.
Taylor said her mother’s worst fear was COVID and that would come true.
Cheryl Schulz, a private duty certified nurse’s aide and caretaker of family all her life, fell ill in December with congestive heart failure, but refused to go to the hospital for fear of catching COVID-19.
Finally, as Schulz accumulated more and more fluid, Taylor said she told her mom: “Mom, you’re going to die from congestive heart failure before you die from COVID.”
Schulz agreed to go and was admitted to Bridgeport Hospital Dec. 28 and on Jan. 8 was sent to a rehabilitation center to gain strength and improve her walking.
On Jan. 12 she began to exhibit COVID symptoms of congestion and cough, her daughter said. A few days later, she tested positive and called Taylor crying, “I got COVID.”
“My heart sank. I said, ‘Oh my God, her worst fear came true,” Taylor said.
Soon, Schulz was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where doctors would tell her that her lungs were so damaged by COVID that a ventilator wouldn’t help, Taylor said.
During the month or so when Schulz struggled with COVID, there were many ups and downs — her condition would improve, then plummet hours later and improve again, he daughter said. Taylor was in daily contact, several times a day, with staff caring for her mom. Most were like angels, she said. One male healthcare worker told Taylor her mom was “the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.” In another situation that touches Taylor, a doctor sat by her mom’s bedside feeding her.
“Everything was different every day,” Erica said.
Then there were the many visits Taylor appreciated with the hospital chaplain, the Rev. Nicholas Sollom a minister, who reconnected Schulz with her spirituality and ultimately officiated at her funeral Saturday. In another gesture that touched Taylor, a nurse from the hospital sent flowers and a beautiful written message to Schulz’s funeral.
As soon as Schulz was transferred to Yale, staff uploaded a program so the mom and daughter could visit virtually.
“There were no visitors, I get that. But it was really, really hard,” Taylor said.
Schulz often spoke of continuing the fight, but was tired in the end, as some patients describe, her daughter said.
Taylor, a hair stylist of 20 years at Alan Del Monte Salon in Milford, said unbeknownst to her, because she isn’t the type to ask for help, DiMatteo started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her mom’s funeral, as her parents’ assets are stuck in probate. Her dad died unexpectedly without a will and they hadn’t a chance to transfer assets into Taylor’s name before her mother died, she said.
In the GoFundMe he posted, DiMatteo — who is widely known in Milford — wrote: “Today we lost Erica’s beautiful mother after her battle with COVID. Cheryl fought so hard until she couldn’t fight anymore. Cheryl was a sweet, loving, caring & nurturing woman …”
The post continues, “Due to legal restrictions Erica is unable to access her mother’s accounts. Cheryl was too sick to go to the bank which is out of state in order to add Erica to the account. We are trying to raise money to help with final expenses…Any amount is greatly appreciated.”
“I didn’t think we’d be in that position,” Taylor said.
The funeral was Saturday, but
the family has an outstanding bill.
The family lived in Stratford for many years, but before that were longtime residents of Fairfield, where Taylor was raised and attended school.
Schulz worked for decades as a certified nurse’s aide in private duty and cared for family members, such as her late mother, who had cancer, and her father, who suffered from dementia.
“She was such a nurturing woman and took pride in taking care of so many patients and always became part of their families,” Schulz’s obituary says. “She had an infectious way of giving about her with no expectations and was a power of example to many.”
When Schulz’s grandson, Dallas Taylor, was born, she stopped working and cared for him for the first two years of his life, the family said. In the last several months, he took care of her and was dedicated to her every need.
Dallas Taylor, now 23, is now turning his attention to helping his own mom heal. Erica Schulz Taylor said he made a Build-ABear at Westfield Trumbull Mall, named it Cheryl and when he gave it to her told her to tell the bear you love her, then press her paw.
Out came Cheryl Schulz’s voice saying, “I love you too.” Erica Schulz Taylor said she will treasure the stuffed animal forever.