"I love you" were words often exchanged between sisters Valentina and Vanielle Blackhorse.

At the end of every conversation — which happened nearly every day — they added it to their "goodbyes" and "see you laters."

Little did they know, however, that those simple yet powerful words would be among the last shared between the two last Wednesday evening. Valentina, a 28-year-old Navajo woman from Kayenta, died last Thursday after testing positive for the new coronavirus a day prior on April 22, according to her family.

"I wrote back that 'I love you too,'" Vanielle, the youngest of three siblings, told The Arizona Republic over the phone while choking back tears.

Valentina was described by her family as a loving mother of a 1-year-old girl, Poet Blackhorse-Jones. They said she was also deeply rooted in her culture, which was apparent in the many Miss Navajo pageants she won, including her recent title as Miss Western Navajo in 2015-2016.

In the last year, Valentina also worked as an administrative assistant for the Navajo Nation's Dennehotso Chapter, about 30 miles east of Kayenta. She aspired to one day become a Navajo Nation Council delegate or even president of the Navajo Nation, her older sister Victoria Blackhorse said.

"She always stood her ground. If she didn't like something, she would say it's not right," she said.

Valentina enforced in her family that they stay home as much as possible, they said. She reminded them to wash their hands and stay clean, and to wear masks and gloves if they had to go out in public, they said.

"She was the same with me, 'put on your mask' and, you know, just keeping on top of things," said Robby Jones, Valentina's boyfriend of five years.

Valentina's family is raising money to cover her funeral expenses and support her daughter. As of Tuesday, the campaign garnered more than than $10,000 of its $12,000 goal.

Boyfriend likely contracted virus at work as detention officer

It's the family's belief that Valentina may have contracted the virus while caring for her boyfriend, who tested positive for COVID-19 nearly two weeks before his girlfriend died.

Jones, a 31-year-old detention officer for the Navajo Department of Corrections' Kayenta District, said he may have been exposed to the virus by a co-worker who was sick at work in late March and later tested positive. He said he doesn't blame the department that he got sick, adding that anyone sick should stay home.

Kayenta is a community on the Navajo Nation located about 75 miles east of Tuba City. As of Monday, the Navajo Nation — which spans three states — had 1,769 identified cases and 59 confirmed deaths. Of the 1,769 cases, 1,087 involve residents on tribal land in Arizona counties.

Department Director Delores Greyeyes said it's difficult to know for sure how Jones may have contracted the virus.

She said in mid-March a different detention officer at the department with ties to the Chilchinbeto community tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, around the same time, two inmates from the Chilchinbeto community were detained overnight; however, at the time, both tested negative for the virus, she said.

Chilchinbeto is a community on the Navajo Nation where its first COVID-19 case was identified and quickly spread into an outbreak.

As of Monday, the department had 11 known COVID-19 cases among its detention officers: eight in Kayenta, two in Chinle and two in Tuba City, said Greyeyes. In total, seven inmates tested positive for COVID-19, she said, adding that they were new arrestees and in isolation.

'I'll stay and take care of you'

About halfway through a 14-day self-quarantine at his and Valentina's home in Kayenta, Jones said he began feeling symptoms of fatigue, body aches, nausea, minor coughing and fever. He was tested for the virus on April 8 and two days later was told he tested positive for COVID-19, he said. Jones said he does not have any underlying health conditions.

At the time, Valentina and their daughter, Poet, were also tested but their tests returned negative on April 12, according to Jones.

"When I found out it was negative, I told her to go to her parents' house because I didn't want them to catch it and she said, 'OK, I'll drop off our baby, but I'll stay and take care of you,'" Jones said. "I tried arguing with her, she was being stubborn and was just worried about how I was going to be doing, so I just gave up, I said okay and told her to be careful."

Poet has been with her grandparents Dan and Laverne Blackhorse since April 13, and has not seen her dad for about a month because of his self-isolation, Jones said.

In caring for Jones, Valentina would take him food and water while he remained in self-isolation and had limited contact with her, he said. Near April 15, she began feeling sick with symptoms that included body aches, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, fever and mild coughing, Jones said.

"She tried to tough it out; she told me, 'If Robby can do it, I can do it too,'" Jones said. "She didn't want to go to the clinic but then she was just getting a bit worse."

Four days later, Jones said he took her to a clinic in Kayenta, where she received another test for COVID-19 and was told she had an infection in her lungs and liver. He again took her to the clinic on April 21 because of knee and back pain, he said. At the time, she was given the option to be admitted but declined because she was afraid, according to Jones.

"She decided to come home during that time but she was sick," he said. "I was recovering, feeling a lot better, so I took advantage of that and tried to take care of her as much I as can."

On April 22, they learned Valentina tested positive for COVID-19, Jones said.

The following day, Valentina died at the clinic, where he had taken her because she had difficulty breathing, Jones said.

"She was supposed to get admitted to Flagstaff, but it was too late," he said.

Valentina was diagnosed at a young age with rheumatoid arthritis, her family said, which is an autoimmune disorder that can increase the likelihood that someone who contracts COVID-19 will have worse symptoms or die. Jones said doctors told him Valentina's rheumatoid arthritis was a factor in her death.

Looking toward the future

Jones said he no longer felt symptoms of COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon. He said he was awaiting approval to get retested so that he could return to work.

"I really have to go back to work because it's just me and my daughter," he said. "I do have family that's supporting but, being a father, it feels like my role has gone up even higher now."

Valentina's death drew widespread attention, including from Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who tweeted that his prayers were with her family.

In the meantime, Valentina's parents were planning her funeral in the hopes she could be buried in Farmington, New Mexico, next to a grandmother she loved dearly, Jones said. While much of the GoFundMe money will be put toward funeral expenses, Jones said any leftover funds for their daughter would be helpful.

"Since the last time I saw her, she grew so much in that short amount of time," he said, adding that she needs diapers, wipes and new clothes. "One thing that Valentina really wants for her is educational toys, especially books."

Victoria said the family aims to continue Valentina's Navajo teachings for her daughter.

"She was really into her culture, her traditions, and she always wanted to keep learning," she said. "She wanted to teach that to her daughter, to do powwow dancing and the pageants. ... She wanted her daughter to have long hair like she did, and we're going to do that for her."

Meanwhile, Valentina's family is grappling with their sudden loss and trying to remember the good times.

"I miss her a lot. I just look at her pictures and her titles," her mom Laverne said while choking back tears.

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.

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