A Mother Who Lost Her Daughter to COVID-19 Urges Others to Get Vaccinated

A mother named Kimberle Jones is living a nightmare, grieving the loss of her unvaccinated daughter, Erica Thompson.

Thompson was a beloved 37-year-old wife and mother of three sons, ages 8, 11, and 17 in St. Louis, Missouri, who spent some 50 days in the hospital after getting diagnosed with the coronavirus back in May. Thompson died of COVID-19 on July 4 and now her mother is saddled with remorse, saying the death could have been prevented if her daughter had gotten a COVID-19 shot.

“Had my daughter been vaccinated, I think she would still be here with us,” Jones told ABC News.

Thompson suffered from asthma and tested positive for COVID-19 in May after experiencing pains in her chest. After 50 long days of enduring infections, blood clots, resistance to treatment, and life support, Thomas died, leaving loved ones disappointed and in despite her belief.

Now, Jones is pushing the message for others to get vaccinated, because she believes that her daughter would be alive if the woman had taken the recommended step to protect herself.

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“Don’t be selfish. Get vaccinated because it’s not only showing you love yourself, you love your community … your neighbors, your employers, your co-workers,” Jones told ABC News.

Jones, who is vaccinated, was forced to endure funeral preparations for her daughter’s final day. She does not want her tears to fall in vain.

“That’s my prayer. I want everybody to get vaccinated. And especially African Americans,” she said to ABC News. “Use this as a way to help others.”

Although some Americans remain minimally concerned about COVID-19 posing life-threatening risks, a forthcoming surge could be on the way, according to CBS News.

“The Delta variant is highly contagious, yet “just 45% of Americans are fully vaccinated and only 16 states have fully vaccinated more than half of their populations,” CBS News reported.

Changes regarding the CDC’s recommendations of some fully vaccinated people not needing to mask up indoors could change, in addition to fully vaccinated pupils and educators being able to go mask free, according to NPR.