A nurse and a dedicated Disney fan has died after a 26-day battle with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Joshua Obra, who ran the popular Disneyland account @disneylandpanda, died on July 6, his younger sister Jasmine confirmed on Friday in an emotional Instagram post.
“Thank you to everyone who has prayed for josh during his battle against covid-19 he fought hard those 26 days from when his symptoms started, but now he is with God,” she wrote. “I know I was the person he was most close to here. we were never apart. I also know I was too hard on him sometimes, but I hope he knew it was out of love. he’s so kind and selfless, wanting to make everyone happy.”
In addition to taking and posting photographs of his time at the park, Joshua also worked as a registered nurse.
“I'm so blessed that he was able to teach me some parts of how to be a nurse while we were able to work together before we both got sick," added Jasmine, who noted in a subsequent Instagram Story post that she was still waiting on her test results. "I’m happy he was able to share his love for Disney, visit all of the Disney parks, and travel some of the world. I’m so happy he was able to follow his passion in photography. I’m so blessed we were able to be so close through all these things, so blessed to be his little sister."
“I know I’ll never be able to fully understand why he was taken away from us so early, but I know he lived a good life while he was here with us. He is now free from suffering and pain,” she continued.
In addition to being reunited with their grandparents, Jasmine went on to share that she liked to think her brother is "looking for Walt Disney" in order to talk about "all the magic."
A local news station went on to share another touching tribute to Joshua. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our favorite Eyewitnesses,” the outlet wrote on Instagram. “He passed away Monday from complications due to COVID-19.”
“Josh was a sweet and kind man, and a talented photographer. You can tell from his Instagram handle that he was a huge Disney fan, and he participated in many Disney and ABC7 events and initiatives over the years. He was someone you could depend on, and was always very generous with his time and talent,” the station continued.
The news outlet went on to share that Joshua, who was born and raised in Southern California, shared his love of Disney with his whole family.
“His family has been going to Disneyland since he was a kid, and now, he and his sister are annual passholders,” the station wrote. “The weekend shutterbug says he's inspired by his fellow photographers, and lives by this motto: the shots you take today are the memories of tomorrow."
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