HOUSTON – One Houston area family is mourning the loss of a beloved mother of three and a teacher who had quite an impact on her students and those she loved.
The family said she was healthy and took all precautions, but still suffered from COVID-19. Now, friends of this family are hoping to help the family through this difficult time.
Heather Williams, 42, was a woman who was so loved.
“She had that smile that lit up the room, and I will never forget that,” her best friend, Lori Eads, said.
Eads and Williams had been best friends for more than 26 years. They were both teachers who believed in their students. They were also mothers. Williams was a mother of 3 - a 15-year-old son, a 12-year-old son, and a daughter who just turned 10-years-old. The two were inseparable.
“It’s not always that you get to teach across the hall with your best friend,” Eads said.
Williams left her mark, even as a virtual teacher, on just about everybody.
“She was everything. She was a mom to my kids, all of her students, all of her friends’ kids,” Eads said. In February, the Williams family was devastated to learn that she got sick with the coronavirus.
“She wasn’t feeling well. Her fever kept going up,” Eads said.
However, Williams was careful and always washed her hands, wore her mask and limited her time outside, Eads said.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t think could happen to you,” Eads said.
Despite having a healthy background, Eads said the family battled the virus together, being there for Williams to support. Williams was on a ventilator for weeks.
“She progressively got worse,” Eads said. With the help of friends and family all over the country, Eads organized a way to help. She set up a GoFundMe page to help with the growing medical bills. On top of everything that was happening, the family was also forced to move out of the home they were renting because the homeowner was selling it, Eads said.
“They needed to pay first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and the deposit, which comes out to around $5,000,” Eads said.
Eads was successful in raising that money. She also asked for prayer.
On March 24th, Williams lost her battle with the coronavirus, passing away in the hospital at the Med Center.
“We got each other through a lot of hard times,” Eads said.
Even after her death, Eads is determined to help the family.
“We just want to bless the family as much as we can and take some stress and burden off of them,” Eads said.
Williams’ husband, Sidney, said Williams was the love of his life and a teacher who was truly adored by her students. Both Eads and Sidney said Heather Williams’ legacy will live through the lessons she taught with or without words.
“She was an amazing friend. Someone that cannot be replaced,” Eads said.
Eads said she wants to continue to help bless the family and help them get through these incredibly tough times.