Parking-lot prayers: Brothers’ love transcends a COVID death
Darrell Cobbins reflects in his car outside of the Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room where his brother, Donnell, died from COVID-19 earlier in the day Dec. 11, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Darrell Cobbins reads a Bible verse in his car outside of the Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room Dec. 11, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Darrell Cobbins prays outside the Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room after his brother, Donnell, died from COVID-19 complications Dec. 11, 2020. Cobbins prayed outside the hospital every night since his brother was admitted a week earlier. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Brothers Donnell (left) and Darrell Cobbins shared a bed or bedroom until Donnell left home for college. (Submitted)
Once, long ago, an old lady told Darrell Cobbins (left) and Donnell Cobbins they “would be great men someday.” Now Darrell knows what she meant. (Submitted)
Donnell Cobbins (right) stands with longtime friend Rev. Derrick Joyce. (Submitted)
Donnell Cobbins (left) and Darrell Cobbins were as close as two brothers could be without being twins. (Submitted)
Darrell Cobbins reads from the Book of Ephesians in his car outside of the Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room Dec. 11, 2020. Cobbins read the Bible and prayed every night while his brother was in the hospital with COVID-19. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Darrell Cobbins closes his Bible one last time while sitting in his car outside of the Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room Dec. 11, 2020. Cobbins’ older brother, Donnell, died at the hospital from COVID-19 complications earlier in the day. Cobbins visited the parking lot every night while Donnell was sick to pray. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
They were about as close as brothers can be, having been forced to share a bed or bedroom through childhood. COVID-19 took the life of Donnell Cobbins on Friday, Dec. 11. And Darrell Cobbins now knows the meaning of a stranger’s message to both of them when they were teenagers.
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Darrell Cobbins Commercial Real Estate COVID-19 Baptist Memorial Health Care donnell cobbinsTom Bailey
Tom Bailey retired in January as a business reporter at The Daily Memphian, and after 40 years in journalism. A Tupelo, Mississippi, native, he graduated from Mississippi State University. He has lived in Midtown for 36 years.
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