Dawson’s Creek Writer Dies by Suicide After Struggles With Long-Haul COVID-19
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
On May 26, “Dawson’s Creek” writer Heidi Ferrer died by suicide at the age of 50, according to People Magazine. In addition to her work for “Dawson’s Creek,” Ferrer also has writing credits for “Wasteland” and “The Hottie & the Nottie.”
Ferrer had contracted COVID-19 in April 2020, and she developed long-haul COVID-19 after first getting sick with the infectious disease. Deadline reported that Ferrer was in constant pain, and was “suffering from severe neurological tremors and numerous other worsening symptoms.”
On her blog, Girl to Mom, Ferrer discussed her struggles with long-haul COVID-19. “I couldn’t believe it could happen so fast, in June I became suddenly disabled and bedridden, down a medical rabbit hole,” Ferrer wrote in a September 2020 post. She also detailed how everyday tasks, like taking a shower, became dangerous due to her symptoms. “Taking a shower became threatening: Would I fall? Should I buy a shower chair so I could sit to wash myself?”
Looking for support? Join our Covid-19 Support & Recovery group here.
People who developed long-haul COVID-19, also known as long COVID, may experience a wide range of symptoms, which can severely change a person’s life, just like any other chronic illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say these symptoms can include fatigue, loss of smell or taste, joint or muscle pain, difficulty breathing, among others.
Loved ones and supporters commemorated Ferrer’s life and the need for more research on long-haul COVID-19 on social media:
My beautiful angel, Heidi, passed over tonight after a 13 month battle with Long Haul Covid. She was an amazing mother. She fought this insidious disease with the same ferocity she lived with. I love you forever and I'll see you down the road. pic.twitter.com/f22vbZ5K25
— Nick Guthe (@NickGuthe) May 27, 2021
Another suicide due to #LongCovid while research remains at a veritable standstill.
We must demand change. This is tragedy upon tragedy. May her memory be a blessing ????
Heidi Ferrer Dead: ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Writer Was 50 – Variety https://t.co/Tn7R0QqVcV
— Diana Zicklin Berrent (@dianaberrent) June 17, 2021
'Dawson's Creek' writer Heidi Ferrer has died by suicide at 50. Her battle with longhaul #COVID19 after her initial diagnosis in March 2020 is documented in her blog which is a first-hand account of the physical and mental horror some longhaulers face https://t.co/UTEQY4BlRm pic.twitter.com/uEaslJxNyW
— ????????Alexandra #FreePalestine Halaby (@iskandrah) June 18, 2021
Read more stories about experiences with long-haul COVID-19 or how to cope with them here:
Image via Instagram/Heidi Ferrer
Julia Métraux is a health and culture writer whose work has appeared in Narratively, The Tempest, BUST, and Briarpatch Magazine. Follow her on Twitter at @metraux_julia and on Instagram @julia.metraux
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