The coronavirus pandemic was first announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March this year, and since then, the number of cases and deaths have increased from all over the world. Earlier this month, another tragic case occurred with the passing of identical twin brothers Rosendo and Rogelio Mendoza on December 9. Their deaths were mere hours away from each other, both of which were caused by COVID-19 complications. The twins were only 56 years old, making the news extremely difficult to bear.
As twins, Rosendo and Rogelio Mendoza were known to have shared a close bond ever since they were little. The two were rarely separated throughout their lives, emphasizing how tight-knit their relationship was. The phenomenon of twins continues to be an amazing thing to hear about, especially after witnessing the special connection that they possess. The same can be said for triplets and quadruplets, who often share such a close connection that cannot be explained.
For the Mendoza twins, their bond was nothing short of special. Their sister Sally Mendoza stated that they would hug each other to sleep and scratch each other’s backs. Even as adults, they worked in the same profession and place, and would sleep in the same mattress.
Given how close the two were to each other, the news of their passing has been heartbreaking to many. According to their family, the twins first developed COVID-19 symptoms around the time of the Thanksgiving holiday. They did not know where they contracted the virus, but explained that the twins began coughing and experiencing shortness of breath around that time.
Rosendo’s daughter, Jessica Cuevas, stated that the twins worked in an oil field in Andrews and Lorenzo, and that her father had successfully beat cancer three times. The brothers were placed in two separate rooms in the hospital and were later put in ventilators when their condition continued to worsen.
At about 4:15 PM on December 9, Rogelio, who had a pre-existing respiratory condition, passed away. Cuevas and the Mendoza family then told Rosendo that they understood if he would want to go with his brother. They also knew that he would not have lasted long without his brother if he had stayed alive. About four hours later, Rosendo followed his brother and died. According to Cuevas, the twins did not wear face masks regularly and that they should have taken the crisis more seriously.
Funeral services for the Mendoza twins were scheduled to be held on December 19 at the First Baptist Church in Lorenzo. The two had been born on September 4, 1964, with Rosendo being older by an hour. They fondly called each other “Moe” as their nickname of endearment. Their heartfelt and remarkable story was featured in NY Times’ “Those We’ve Lost” series, showcasing their unbreakable bond and the ups and downs they had gone through in life. It was clear that even in the direst of situations, the twins remained by each other’s sides.
