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On Tuesday, fitness trainer Amanda Kloots acknowledged a tragic milestone: the one-year anniversary since she first drove her husband, Nick Cordero, to the hospital for a mystery illness.

Nick Cordero would later die from that mystery illness, which doctors would soon discover was the deadly new virus sweeping the world: COVID-19.

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Nick Cordero was a Canadian-born Broadway actor of Costa Rican descent. He rose to fame starring in Broadway hits like “Bullets Over Broadway” and “A Bronx Tale”. Cordero was survived by his wife, Amanda, and his 13-month old son, Elvis Eduardo Cordero.

Nick Cordero fought COVID-19 for three months before finally succumbing to the virus on July 5th, 2020.

Nick Cordero’s death shocked the world because he was relatively young (41-years-old), he was very healthy (he was an actor/dancer and married to a fitness instructor) and he had no underlying health conditions. Despite being a healthy young man, Cordero developed blood-clots in his leg from COVID-19 complications. Doctors ended up having to amputate his leg.

Nick Cordero’s prolonged sickness and subsequent death made headlines because he was the youngest, healthiest high-profile person to have his life taken by COVID-19.

To commemorate Nick Cordero and honor his memory, Amanda Kloots posted a touching tribute to her late husband on Instagram.

She wrote: “March 30, 2020 Elvis and I drove Nick to the emergency room at Cedar Sinai. With Covid restrictions in place, we didn’t know which entrance was even open, so I left him on the corner…It was clear he was sick with something and we couldn’t take any risks. I don’t even know if he said bye to Elvis or if we said, ‘I love you.’ I told him I’d stay nearby and to call me when he’s done. We walked to The Grove to kill time. We thought it would be a couple hours.”

However, she continued, “That was the last day I saw Nick as Nick.”

“My heart breaks today,” Kloots wrote. “I wish I could go back in time, run to him as he was walking away, grab him, kiss him and hold him in my arms. On April 1, he went on the ventilator and I never spoke to him again.”

Kloots then addressed other people who lost loved-ones to COVID-19 who might be reading the post. “To anyone, who like me, that dropped their person off at the hospital never to really ‘see’ them again, I’m thinking and praying for you today. This day is just hard, there’s no other way to say it.”

Kloots quoted Maria Shriver. “Rather than mourning what was, let me use this time as a chance to reflect on how we can make things better than the way they were before.”

“We’ve come far in a year with what we know about treating and preventing this virus. Do your part, continue doing your part. For Nick and every COVID patient that didn’t make it home.”

Here’s to remember Nick Cordero and all the other people who lost their lives to COVID-19 this past 12 months.