♪ tonight, we mark an unimaginable milestone, a half million americans lost to covid-19. we met so many of you in the pandemic who suffered loss to big to fathom, moeshthers and fathers, neighbors and friends, shattered falies, among the most vulnerable left behind, the young children, trying to chart a new course without a north star. orphaned by covid-19. >> were you praying at that at are to your mom to let your dad stay. >> now siblings stepping up at sur gates. >> it just hit me hard, i got to go what a patient -- parent does. >> finding hope in heartache.

>> and defending democracy. >> at one point i said, how's this going to end. >> one officer speaking out for the first time, recalling the deadly insurrection and vial racism it brought to our nation's capitol. >> had an "pink maga shirt, said, hey, this guy voted for joe biden, guys. >> "nightline" will be right back. and on stovetops for an amazing clean, get the power of mr. clean magic eraser in disposable sheets. make fitness routine with pure protein. high protein. low sugar. tastes great! high protein. low sugar. so good. high protein. low sugar. mmm, birthday cake. try pure protein shakes. with vitamins and minerals for immune support.

it's not every day a parade of first responders and the mayor of the sitcci city comes to the door with gift in hand. >> on three. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ >> but last may in pasaek, new jersey, not even they could miss want's 11th birthday. >> it was on my birthday, i woke up, i was kind of excited. i didn't know there would be a parade with the police department outside waiting for me. >> the whole police department showed up. >> an unforgettable celebration. >> ♪ happy birthday ♪ ♪ dear juan ♪ ♪ >> meant to help him momentarily forget. i assume you got a cake, when you blew out the candles what did you wish for? >> for everything to go normal. to go back in time and to stop

everything from happening. ♪ >> to go back in time, before his father ramon ramirez came down with covid a week before his birthday when his sister came rushing home to deliver the news that their father had passed away. >> in that first moment of shock what went through your mind? >> a lot of things. i was really sad. >> but it wasn't the first time juan and his eight brothers and sisters had gotten devastating news, their mother margo died suddenly just months earlier. with both parents gone, the oldest sister 29-year-old marlene torres jumped in. >> when your mother passes, okay, you're the oldest, take the responsibility but when he passed away all of us were lost. >> overnight the single mother of two took in 11-year-old juan, 15-year-old raymond and 17-year-old angel and

19-year-old beatrice. >> not everyone in your position would be like okay i'm adopting four additional kids with my two kids. did you hesitate before making that decision. >> i didn't. i knew it would be hard. >> as the country comes to grips with half a million lives lost to the pandemic, families like the ramirez's are still reeling from the lost, among them, children left orphaned without a parent to help pick up the pieces, often older sibling forced to fill the void. >> i see myself as a parent because i'm working and focused on what needs to get done at home. >> at 19 juan martinez has been parenting his younger siblings for six months his final promise to his mom before she passed away from covid. >> i told her i would keep the family together and raise my siblings to be okay. >> like juan, marlene says keeping her family in tact is a gift to her parents. >> i may be young age, whatever

the case, but eem going to try to get through it and help them out, end of the day it's not for me, it's for them. >> the future of her young ersister beatrice it now forever changed. >> we're looking at more than half a million americans who lost their lives to covid what has covid taken from your family? >> our past life, i have love for siblings every day but the love of a parent a a lot different that's what they robb robbed us of. >> her mother visited in mexico a mother who worked two jobs, day shift as a crossing guard and nice shift at panera bread. >> she would bring stuff from here to give to people in mexico. >> what kind of stuff? >> like clothes and shoes, stuff we had outgrown to give to friends. >> your mom had a big heart. >> yeah. >> but then it gave out. >> on the same day she was supposed to return home she suffered a fatal heart attack at

just 43 years old. their heartbroken father ramon suddenly alone to care for his kids, the rock of the family, they say, with a gentle heart. >> my dad looked very serious but if you got to know him he'd be very funny or very sweet. same with my mom. >> he was a hard-working person. >> ramon work in construction, a job deemed essential as the pandemic raged on. >> i feel that's one of the reason he had covid. >> when did you know your dad was in trouble? >> he wasn't feeling well, we all the weren't feeling well, you know, we were starting to get a little worried. you don't know what it's like until it happens to you. >> covid quickly tore through their crowded household. >> how bad was it for your dad though? >> even when he was getting a little sick he felt he didn't do -- he always came into my room to give me hand-squeezed orange juice, he brought me food, tea, he did everything for

me, so when i found out he was sick i tried to do the same thing, hand-squeezed the orange juice but there was a time you ti worse. >> i understand you tried to talk him into going to the hospital. >> yeah he didn't want the to go. >> why didn't he want to go? >> he didn't want to leave us. >> he didn't want to leave you alone, not just that day but -- >> -- in general, yeah. he actually talked to me before hand already thinking he was going to pass away. >> what did he say? >> he said, he's like, i don't know if i'm going to make it. i'm like, don't talk like that. don't talk like that. you're going to do it. you're strong. i know you are. i need you. like, i remember telling him that specifically, i need you -- you can't -- i was like, you can't do this to us, like, don't say that, don't give up now. and then he came to sit down next to me but he didn't want to go near us, he didn't want us to get sick, but i was already

sick, he's like, no, don't touch me, i'm like, i don't care, so i went and hugged him and i was like, i love you. and then i was telling my mom, please don't take him, not yet, like, it's too early, mom, please give me the strength, if you see him, if you could see him while he's asleep just tell him to stay with us. make him stay. >> the coughing continued. it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe. >> i called my sister, like, what do i do, he doesn't want to go. he's just getting worse. she's like just call the ambulance, just tell them. >> it was like you were watching him fade away in front of you. >> yeah that was tough. >> after six days in the hospital ramon passed away at the age of 39, the virus claiming his life and his family's opportunity to bury him with dignity. >> there wasn't even a funeral. when they came out with my dad, he was in a bag, it wasn't the way i wanted it to be.

he deserved better than that. he deserved better than to die by himself. ♪ >> across the country, in palm dale, california, where the latino community was hardest hit by covid, want martinez shares that pain, his mother brenda came down with covid last summer. >> she was in the hospital, in the regular covid unit for a while. i actually witnessed them giving her cpr in the end. >> she pass in august at just 43, her six children left behind. in the blink of an eye this 19-year-old became the single parent to four of his younger siblings. >> it just hit me hard but i just said all right i got to do what a parent does, you know, i started buying calendars, writing stuff down, taking all these phone calls to doctors, teachers. >> his two-year-old brother now

living with his biological father, keenly aware of the financial challenges that lay ahead, juan who works as a security guard went searching for help, turning to go fund me, writing my goal is to get a permanent home for my siblings and further their education by attending college. now movie nights and silly moments give way of glimpses of normalcy but juan says this tragic loss has divided his extended family, some worried about a teenager becoming a guardian to his younger siblings. >> i know i'd be the best guardian for them, one, i'm their older brother, two, i will teach them the right path and show them you got to work hard for the things you want in life. >> and marlow marlene is determined to do the same, whatever it takes. >> you're working. this is financially a huge strain, i'm sure. >> it is, it is. we've been grateful to people

because we have go fund me account that we had to make and out of that i'm trying to stretch that money as much because i know they will need some type of support later on. >> when you guys look into the future what hopes and dreams do you have? >> to be an electrician. one of my mom's dreams she set for me. >> i'm in stem school and my pathway is aerospace engineering. >> their dreams for the future fueled by memories from the past. >> what kinds of things did your dad teach you, juan? >> i didn't really know how to tie my shoe that's well, he taught me a new way. and when i was young, i made a song with him. >> a song? what was it. >> a love song. >> a love song? >> i don't know how to say. >> it makes you sad to think about it.

is. >> their loss is unfathomable but their family tie is unbreakable. >> when i go to meet my mom in the future i'm going to be like, you know what, i tried to do my best, i tried to raise them and be there for them because it's not easy. it's hard. they're looking at us right now, they're smiling. >> their parents would no doubt be proud. coming up next, one officer's story of survival, on the front lines of that insurrection. microban 24 doesn't just sanitize and stop. it keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours. just spray and let dry to form a shield that's proven to keep killing bacteria for 24 hours. touch after touch. microban 24 nicorette® knows, quitting smoking is hard. you get advice like: try hypnosis... or... quit cold turkey are you kidding me?! instead, start small. with nicorette®. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette® for people living with h-i-v, keep being you.

and ask your doctor about biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. research shows people who take h-i-v treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you.

if yowe do it evelike clockwork. keep loving who you are. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know certified dishwashers... ...use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. so, do it with cascade. the surprising way to save water.

when you've got a business, you don't want to worry about slow internet or confusing cybersecurity. so get comcast business internet on the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses, and add the advanced security of comcast business securityedge. it's the speed you need with threat protection, plus 24/7 support. get fast internet and advanced security—made simple. and bounce forward— with comcast business. get started with a great offer, and ask how you can add comcast business securityedge. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today.

we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa ♪ ♪ now to the siege that shook the soul of this nation, speaking out for the first time,

a capitol police officer who risked his life to help stop a mob of insurrectionists and received racial slurs in return. here's abc's pierre thomas. >> reporter: there are many things that happened on january 6th that will always stay with officer harry dunn. >> when you're going through that you're just trying to survive. >> reporter: but nothing leaves a scar quite like this, having the n-word hurled at him, as he put his body on the line to protect the capitol of the united states. >> so, i encounter a group, 30, 40 people, i was held in the hallway because they were trying to get down this area, they were saying how joe biden did not win the election and nobody voted for him, so i took the bait and i -- okay, what about me. i voted for joe biden, does my vote not count, and then a guy and his girlfriend, she had on a

pink maga shirt, said, hey, this [ bleep ] voted for joe biden, guys. hey, everybody, this [ bleep ] voted for joe biden. they say you effing [ bleep ]. >> so the crowd joined? >> everybody. everybody joined in with them. work there, you see it all the time but you're walking down the time but you're walking down the hallways sometimes, it's a beautiful building that was built by slaves, it's incredible and hard not to be in awe when you see it. >> on that day of infamy he would be tested physicaly and emotionally bearing witness of the desecration to the pinnacle

of democracy. >> what was the first moment you knew something was off. >> we were told to get riot helmets that was new. ealoe?sense that all hell ul >> correct. >> just hours later rioters reaches the barriers and the officer suddenly thrust on to what seemed like a battle field. >> you see officers fighting with these people, pepper spray, smoke grenades, gas grenades, we fought with these people who were prepared. for a fight. they had on gas masks. they had on body armor, they had on two-way radios, they had on tactical gear, bullet-proof vests, they were ready to go. >> when you see that level of preparedness did that surprise you? did it scare you? >> i was scared. i was absolutely scared. i'm on this platform, i'm a big guy, i'm 6'7", i'm this giant person and we had our guns out peop o the, eye armed hese

too, i'm le, gna get shot, they gonna take me out. i remember at one point i said, how is this going to end? >> eventually the mob forced its way inside. >> i said we got dozens of officers down and you got the nerve to be holding a blue lives matter flag. they said, nah, we're doing this for you. we're doing this for you. one of the guys kept walking by, the other one pulled out his badge and said, trust me, i understand, we're doing this for you, buddy. he's got a badge! he shows me his badge! >> what did you think? a fellow officer -- >> you got to be kidding me. you got to be kidding me. >> did the people tell you why they were there. >> we're stopping the steal. according to them they were doing us a favor, those terrorists. >> you're very precise to use

the word terrorists. >> absolutely they tried to it wasn'tr bchf cracy. thugs they were terrorists. they tried to disrupt the democracy. that was their goal, you know what, y'all failed. >> as the dust settled the officer looks around the capitol rotunda. >> there's this cloud of smoke. floors are covered in white dust, water bottles, broken flag poles, empty cannisters of pepper spray, trump flags. is this america? what the hell just happened? they fought us? they had confederate flags in the u.s. capitol! they stormed the speaker's office. they went through the sensitive documents. they were trying to assassinate the vice president in the capitol. >> hang mike pence!

>> officer dunn wants it to be known he's speaking only for himself and not his department but he has nothing but praise for his fellow officers including ryan sicknick killed in the rampage and eugene goodman. >> good dude, good dude, there were dozens of eugene goodman's that day, he was the one caught on camera, he did the right thing, the heroic thing and deserves everything he is getting, but there were so many eugene goodmans that weren't caught on camera that day and i'm proud to work with them. >> you can watch the full interview in a new primetime series "soul of a nation" examining the lived experience of black americans it premiers next tuesday night, 10:00, 9:00 central only on abc. up next remembering the 500,000 americans killed by covid-19. p next tuesday night, 10:00, 9:00 central only on abc. up next remembering the 500,000

americans killed by covid-19. new immune twenty-four hour plus has longer lasting vitamin c. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. only from nature's bounty. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. just between us, cleaning with a mop and bucket is such a hassle. well i switched to swiffer wet jet and it's awesome. it's an all-in-one that absorbs dirt and grime deep inside. and it helps prevent streaks and haze. stop cleaning. start swiffering think you're managing your moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease? i did. until i realized something was missing...me. my symptoms were keeping me from being there for him. so, i talked to my doctor and learned... humira is for people who still have uc or crohn's symptoms dications.talked to my doctor and learned... and humira helps people achieve remission thatan last, so you can experience few or no symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections.

serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible.

like, seeing my mom. it's unthinkable to me that i can't see her and i can't hug her. not being able to hug is just like somebody has to tie me down. touching someone to say i love you, to hug you... those are the things that i miss. ♪ ♪

♪ >> finally tonight, a nation honors the half million

americans killed by covid. >> a moment of silence. a sea of light. a solemn tribute at the white house today. >> this nation will smile again. this nation will know sunny days again. this nation will know joy again. and as we do, we'll remember each person we lost, the lives they lived, the love ones they left behind. ♪ >> gone but not forgotten.