People are too damn selfish': Mom of 10-year-old Va. COVID victim urges masking, vaccines http://wjla.com/amp/news/local/mother-of-10-year-old-virginia-covid-19-victim-teresa-sperry-urges-masking-vaccinations
WASHINGTON (7News) —
A southeastern Virginia family is mourning the loss of 10-year-old Teresa Makenzie Sperry to COVID-19. Teresa is one of a dozen people under the age of 20 in Virginia to succumb to the virus.
Suffolk Public Schools shared a letter with the community about Teresa's passing on Tuesday.
“ Out of respect for the family, we will not release the student's name and will do our part to guard the privacy of the family," said the letter, which is signed by superintendent Dr. John Gordon, III.
But Teresa's mother, Nicole Sperry, shared the letter on her own Facebook page, writing: "I will share her name. Her name is Teresa Makenzie Sperry."
Sperry went on to say her daughter's death was preventable.
"I will not hide anymore," she wrote. "My beautiful girl was taken from me because people are too damn selfish to care about what could happen to others. I wasn't. We weren't. We wore our mask[s] because there are too many in our tribe who are at risk. My daughter was not at risk. And now she is gone. This horrible excuse of a letter is not acceptable. Want to know what you can do to honor my lovely girl? Wear a damn mask! Get vaccinated! Social distance! And most importantly stop complaining and keep your sick kids at home. Because in the end you will still get to hug yours."
Pediatric COVID-19 cases have spiked since students started going back to school in August.