ARLINGTON, Texas — Some of Janice Harris Lord’s favorite memories are from the hours spent sitting beside her husband on the deck behind her home after a long day’s work.
She was a therapist – her clients were often victims of severe trauma - and she needed a moment to decompress.
Dick Lord was a retired pastor.
They’d sit in the shade of their backyard, talk about the day that was, and plan for the night and days ahead.
“That’s the part I miss the most,” she said.
Dick Lord died July 16, 2017 – twelve days after he began to show signs of a mysterious virus.
The neurological symptoms came first.
He had trouble signing a check. Then came serious fatigue – the man who never napped suddenly needed three naps in one day.
Then nausea, diarrhea, and weakness.
Doctors were puzzled. The symptoms worsened.
Dick ended up in the hospital and a spinal tap revealed he’d contracted West Nile Virus. Then suddenly he was gone.
“How one little mosquito can destroy such a magnificent human being is just beyond comprehension,” Janice said.
West Nile Virus is transmitted to people by mosquitoes who’ve been infected by birds.
This summer, North Texas has experienced a spike in positive mosquito pools and cases.
At least four people have died from West Nile Virus – one each in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton Counties.
A public health investigation after Dick Lord’s 2017 death found West Nile carrying mosquitoes were rampant in their South Arlington neighborhood.
There were no positive pools near the golf courses he frequented. So, the deadly bite likely occurred very close to home – perhaps during a walk with their dog, Molly, or during one of those cherished nights in their backyard.
“When I see a mosquito, it gets cussed at and swatted,” she said. “But the other part is that I’m very careful when I’m out. When I walk my dog now, I have on long sleeves and long pants just for protection.”
She empties her bird bath every day to ensure mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed.
She shares her husband’s story in an effort to raise awareness – it’s a chance to honor him and protect others.
Seven years have passed.
Sometimes she finds the strength to sit alone in the backyard. But the empty chair beside her is painful.
“There are days I sit here and focus on gratitude, and other days I focus on loneliness,” she said.
“It goes day by day."