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Coronavirus claims Red Cross official, former communications manager for the Archdiocese and WBZ editor
By adamg on Sat, 05/23/2020 - 9:00am
Friends and colleagues are reporting the death of Donna Morrissey from Covid-19.
Morrissey, 51 and a Boston College graduate, was director of national partnerships for the American Red Cross Biomedical Services. She was communications director for the Archdiocese of Boston in the early 2000s and before that served as nighttime editor for WBZ-TV.
On April 10, she reported she was at Cape Cod Hospital with severe dehydration she developed three weeks after her diagnosis with the virus. She ended her description of the virus and its effect on her with:
Please, please, please take it seriously! Our lives depend on it!
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Comments
Such a brutal disease
I've never heard of her, but she kept her facebook post public. She became infected about 9 weeks ago. She had this low point 6 weeks ago and then was reporting she was feeling much better a week later. Its effects can last a long time before finally taking your life.
A sad reminder that...
... no matter how young you are or healthy you feel, this virus can be deadly.
Not elderly but not young
Despite the picture, if she graduated college in 1986 then Ms. Morrissey was in her mid-50s. Not yet in the official high-risk group but not a youngster.
Still very sad, especially to see that someone who seemed to be recovering still died.
Her grad date was incorrect.
Her grad date was incorrect. She graduated from high school in 86'. She was indeed 51.
A more down to earth reminder
A more down to earth reminder is that this woman's death is a rarity. The virus is perhaps less deadly than the common flu for individuals younger than 60 without underlying conditions.
thats nice
too bad 133 million Americans are said to have "underlying conditions"
Not a rarity
But keep on with your delusions - say, isn't having delusions an underlying condition?
Oh, and don't quit your day job honey.
That's no lie!
I've heard/read about people in their 20's or younger either dying outright from the Covid-19 virus, or, if they survived, having permanently scarred and incapacitated lungs. Dangerous for anybody of any age.
RIP Donna
For those of us who were around circa AD 2000, Donna was a rising star in the PR/media world. She became the head of PR and communications at the Archdiocese of Boston, just as the abuse scandal was about to really blow up. The people who had perpetrated the cover up failed to tell her the truth, shoved her in front of the cameras, and then blamed her (and everyone but themselves) for the fiasco from which the RCAB has never really recovered.
- failed to tell her the
- failed to tell her the truth? check
- shoved her in front of the cameras? check (or at least "left her twisting in the wind sometimes")
I'll add "didn't listen to her professional PR crisis-handling advice?" - check
But...
- blamed her? bullshit
She worked for Law, then Lennon, then O'Malley's first year or two, and from what I've heard they were all grateful for her efforts.
Donna Morrisey
Donna was my student at the Ward School in Newton, and a dear, dedicated young person at age 11. I am devastated to hear that she is gone, as must be her brothers, sisters, and mother.
Such talent and goodness to be taken so early is heartbreaking.
What you've heard must have come out of Braintree
Boston Globe 5/9/2002
''Donna Morrissey had the obligation as a PR person to provide the advice that would have kept this train from running away, and she did not,'' declared one former church official and member of Cardinal Bernard F. Law's cabinet who asked not to be identified.
Personally I would not expect a woman who grew up in a Catholic family, as she did, to be prepared to explain an insidious problem of pederasty within the clergy, or a cover up at the highest levels of authority. She certainly could not have been expected to make it go away with a PR campaign. That would be as you say, "bullshit". What the Church needed at the time was a real transparent investigation, and real cultural change. Perhaps Bernie Law should have been replaced by one of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Nope, nope, nope
She took that job knowing full well what was going to happen, and the people who hired her knew full well what was going to happen. If that was a shock-- which is impossible to believe, but whatever-- she could have quit much sooner than she did if it was all too much to bear.
But it's all good-- I'm sure she has a lot of company now.
Sadly, people are still not
Sadly, people are still not taking this seriously. I'm still arguing with right-winger family and acquaintances about the seriousness of covid-19.
True enough, anon.
More to the point, there are irresponsible, willfully ignorant and stupid idiots of all ages, especially younger people, who have chosen to deliberately disobey the social distancing rules, and the requirements that people wear face masks when they go out in public, even if they're going out for a run or a walk, or to the grocery store.
I've been getting my groceries delivered, after I shop for them online. Safer that way.
Let's not forget
She claimed the job was "a 'nightmare' that regularly reduced her to tears". So quit!
Taking that job when she did and then acting surprised when it all hit the fan a short time later... please. Everyone who read the news in the 90's around here knew that a giant shitstorm was coming; she couldn't have taken that job without knowing she'd be at the center of it.
Let's not forget
She is dead.
She died of something horrible.
She accomplished enough in life to merit public notice of her untimely, horrible death.
Have some respect.
Let's not forget
Amen. Thank you for reminding us.