Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Mom Calls Out Anti-Vaxxers After Young Daughter Dies Of COVID Just Days After Developing Symptoms

Mom Calls Out Anti-Vaxxers After Young Daughter Dies Of COVID Just Days After Developing Symptoms
WAVY TV 10/YouTube

COVID-19 has claimed the life of a ten-year-old girl in Virginia, days after exhibiting symptoms.

Now Nicole Sperry, the mother, is pleading with anti-vaxxers to get vaccinated.


"Get a vaccine if you can, if you are medically able to get a vaccine," she urged viewers in a news interview.

On Wednesday, September 22, Teresa Sperry, a student at Hillpoint Elementary in Suffolk, developed a headache that lasted through the weekend.

The child's father, Jeff Sperry, told WAVY-TV:

"On Sunday, she started getting sick, and she was coughing up so much that she started throwing up … I was trying to do chest compressions … I went in the room and she wasn't breathing while I was on the phone."

By Monday, Teresa's condition did not improve while at Children's Hospital for the King's Daughters.

At 4:46 p.m., Teresa was pronounced dead, less than five days since she first showed signs of illness.

"When she was in the ICU room, they lost the heartbeat, couldn't find a pulse," recalled the child's mother.

You can watch a news report, here.

Suffolk fifth grader died from COVID-19, family saysyoutu.be


Nicole told viewers in the news interview:

"Wear a mask, wear it properly. Take it seriously. Have care and compassion for other people like we have had for the past year and a half."
"And now, our compassion has caused us to lose our daughter."
"It's not fair. More people should have been able to get to know her and become a better person because of her."

It is unclear where Teresa contracted the viral pathogen from, and doctors are awaiting contact tracing results.

Both parents had been vaccinated but Teresa was not yet eligible for a vaccination against COVID-19.

Nicole said she felt the urge to get her message across when parents in the community continued underestimating the severity of the pandemic.

"At the school board meeting, while I was sitting next to my dead daughter, there was a Chesapeake School Board meeting and people were saying 'This does not affect healthy people, This does not kill healthy people. It is not going to take out children. It's over.'"
"Well, I am here to tell you it is not over. If it were over my daughter would still be alive."


She shared what her late daughter has meant to her.

"When I think of her, I think of someone who was caring. She had a heart for everybody."
"Like if she saw somebody sad, or if she saw someone who needed a friend, she was there."


John B. Gordon III, the Suffolk schools superintendent, offered his condolences, saying:

"We have empathy for the Sperry family. We are so sorry it happened. No parent wants to outlive their children, especially when you lose someone at such a young age."


The Suffolk Public School's Twitter account released the following statement:

"Suffolk Public Schools is heartbroken due to the tragic loss of one of our students, Teresa Sperry."
"It is our intention to support the family, the school, and our entire school communinity during this very difficult time. We will continue to follow our mitigation strategies of wearing masks, washing hands, and practicing social distancing."
"The school division also encourages vaccinations of both staff and students (if they are eligible). "
"Suffolk Public Schools will continue to follow the guidance from the Center for Disease Control with support from the Western Tidewater Health District. "


A Paypal account was set up to help the Sperry family cover expenses, as well as a Meal Train page for those wishing to provide the family with meals or donations for food.

Health officials are hoping the Pfizer vaccine will be approved for children ages 5-11 by the fall.

More from Trending

Kim Kardashian
Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Kim Kardashian Roasted After Seemingly Awkward Photo Fail At Jeff Bezos' Wedding Goes Viral

Kim Kardashian may be the queen of the social media snap, but she's getting roasted online for her latest attempt at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice.

From the elaborate trappings and guest list to the weeks of angry protests by Venetians furious that a Trump-funding technofascist and his celebrity sycophants were taking over their city for days on end, the wedding was nothing short of a spectacle.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abby Phillip; Donald Trump
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

CNN's Abby Phillip Shares Classy Clapback After Trump Lashes Out At Her On Social Media

During the first term of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, his relationship with the press was probably best described as volatile. He had his favorites—the ones that stroked his ego—and the ones he called "enemies of the people."

CNN has definitely been on Trump’s hit list for years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brandon Gill; Zohran Mamdani
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

MAGA Rep. Ripped For Racist Reaction To Mamdani Eating Rice With His Hands In Campaign Video

Texas Republican Representative Brandon Gill is facing harsh criticism after he told New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to "go back to the Third World" after Mamdani shared a video of himself eating rice and lentils with his hands and talking about how his upbringing in Uganda and South Africa shaped his understanding of the Palestinian struggle.

At one point during his meal, Mamdani, who was raised in an Indian family, said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

Homeland Security Slammed After Sharing Bonkers AI Image To Promote 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came under fire after it shared an AI-generated image of alligators wearing ICE hats to promote a proposed "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, a decision that prompted critics to call out the post's fascistic and cruel nature.

The image shows the alligators in caps marked “ICE” beside a barbed-wire fence and was captioned simply:

Keep ReadingShow less
The feet of two people snuggling under the covers
woman in white dress lying on white bed

Couples Who've Been Together For 20+ Years Explain How They Keep Their Sex Life Active

With each passing year, all couples tend to worry that their relationship might change over time.

That they'll stop being as spontaneous, affectionate or energetic as they were when they first began their courtship.

Keep ReadingShow less