Adam Kuperstein reported some sad news on Monday morning: The former NBC 6 Miami anchor’s father has died of coronavirus.
Like many who have been hospitalized with the disease, the man familiarly known as “Aba,” father in Hebrew, passed away “alone” without any family present.
“My dad died with a stranger holding his hand,” Kuperstein, a former Miami sports and news anchor who is now based with NBC in New York City, wrote on social media.
The son of Holocaust survivors, he had been on a ventilator in ICU at an Indianapolis hospital.
“All we could do was listen on the phone (from our separate quarantines), choking back tears, as the nurse informed us, ‘his heart stopped,’” the TV journalist posted. That’s when our hearts broke. We were shattered.”
Kuperstein’s mother was at home after also testing positive for COVID-19, but with milder symptoms.
The Emmy winner also mourns that he can’t console her in person: “At a time where she needed someone to comfort her, she was alone. It’s the cruelest part of this nightmare.”
The father of three, who is married to a former Aventura schoolteacher, ended his post by asking his friends and followers to use his father’s death as an example to try to stay healthy and stay home.
“Please pay tribute to my dad by protecting your loved ones and yourself as the coronavirus crisis grows.”
Condolences have been pouring from his friends and former colleagues such as Kelly Craig, who shared his post “so you can see how this virus is about real people, not just statistics.”
Added CBS4 entertainment reporter Lisa Petrillo: “Oh, Adam. I am heartbroken for you and your family. So so sorry for your loss . There are no words . Just sending love and healing prayers to all of you.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with your family,” posted Trent Aric, formerly with WPLG-Channel 10.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 12:06 PM.
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Celebrity/real time news reporter Madeleine Marr has been with The Miami Herald since 2003. She has covered such features as travel, fashion and food. In 2007, she helped launch the newspaper’s daily People Page, attending red carpet events, awards ceremonies and press junkets; interviewing some of the biggest names in show business; and hosting her own online show. She is originally from New York City.
