A mother from Florida is speaking out this week after her 12-year-old daughter died of COVID-19.
Elizabeth McNew was hospitalized for 10 days before succumbing to the novel coronavirus earlier this month. Now her mom, Elda McNew is sharing their story in hopes that it will encourage others to take this pandemic seriously and do all they can to protect others.
“If you kept one germ droplet from just accidentally getting on another person, you have been a hero, and all it took was an annoying little mask,” Elda McNew told TODAY. “I would like people to think of the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Because we need to find some love and compassion for each other.”
Despite living in Florida, a state which has been notoriously lax in regards to social distancing, masks, and large gatherings, McNew says her family was doing everything they could to prevent the spread of the virus.
When they left the house, they wore their masks. Her kids, both Elizabeth and 15-year-old Liam, were attending school online because the family felt it to be the safest option.
Brad McNew, Elizabeth’s father, works in law enforcement. He’s been vigilant in sanitizing his shoes, washing his uniform immediately, and going straight for the shower when he returns home from a shift.
