Now, Alexa Aragonez has a message: this could happen to you.
"It's a lesson for not only my family, but a message that everyone should listen to at least for a little bit and understand – that this family could be yours and at any moment in time your world can change because of Covid-19," she told CNN on Monday.
Aragonez said that while most of her family was able to successful fight the virus, her mom was hospitalized and is still dealing with long-term cardiovascular complications.
She said she thinks gathering isn't something that is unique to her family, especially during the holiday season.
"It's very common to think that a family that's taking great care of themselves and following most of the CDC guidelines thinks it has some flexibility to gather," Aragonez said. "Unfortunately there are so many of us that do the same thing, and my family came together and thought this was a message worth sharing."