A county coroner in Mississippi has been recording COVID-19 deaths in his community for months, each one a sad reminder of the fragility of life, but last week the virus hit his family.

Adams County Coroner James Lee told The Natchez Democrat newspaper that his own granddaughter died Thursday after a long battle with COVID-19. She was only 25 years old.

Lee said his granddaughter was pregnant with a now 3-month-old child when she first contracted the virus and has fighting serious lung problems ever since.

“COVID-19 has left a big hole in our hearts,” he said. “This disease is real and not a joke.”

Lee said his experiences have shown that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate.

“It can kill the young and the old,” he said. “What our local, state and federal leaders do to protect us from this pandemic is a matter of life and death. The CDC’s guidelines just may save your life if you comply.”