“For me, it really wasn't a very thought-provoking decision. I did it because of my age and my husband's age, but I also did it because I had a first cousin who was like my sister, who was raised with me. We were raised in the same house and she and her brother died within weeks of each other at home from COVID.
I keep really close to home and saw the devastating effects...when we lose one [person] it's devastating, but we had lost over 30, I think, and to see it hit my family so hard was extremely difficult.
I wanted to make sure that I didn't become a statistic for her.”
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Billie Jo Kipp is a clinical psychologist and member of the Blackfeet Tribe. She is the associate director for research and evaluation at the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute and resides in Seattle, WA.