For some, the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing but distant stories of strangers in far-off places. It’s statistics, figures and fleeting headlines.

But there are families and individuals who have felt the effects of the virus in a much more tangible way. They’ve felt it in their own lungs and seen it in their loved ones exhausted by it.

The Highlands Ranch Herald spoke to people in or near the community about their journey through COVID-19 and compiled their stories here.

As of May 4, there were 586 reported cases in Douglas County, with 175 of them in Highlands Ranch. At least 125 people in the county were hospitalized with the virus.