A 15-year-old cancer survivor died from Covid-19 after contracting the virus in October, Kentucky officials said.
Alexa Rose Veit, who was born with special needs and survived a bout with Leukemia in 2019, first began exhibiting symptoms October 26 and underwent a routine Covid-19 test. Her mother also began feeling unwell and was tested. A few days later, both learned they were positive, according to a statement from Ballard County Emergency Management Director Travis Holder.
Her mother’s symptoms worsened and she was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator, while Veit’s symptoms remained mild, Holder said. During this time, Veit’s grandparents also were hospitalized for Covid-19.
Veit’s symptoms continued to worsen, and she was eventually hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee, after developing pneumonia. Her older sister, who had recently recovered from Covid-19, accompanied her as their mother was still hospitalized.
Veit’s condition continued to deteriorate, and she, too, was placed on a ventilator. She died November 15, one day after her mother was released from the hospital and rushed to be at her daughter’s side.
Veit, who was a freshman at Ballard Memorial High School in Barlow, Kentucky, was described as a “social butterfly” whose infectious smile could brighten anyone's day.
“Our world is a little less bright today without Alexa in it, and she will be missed always,” Ballard Memorial High School wrote on its Facebook page.
Holder implored residents to take the virus seriously and take precautions to protect the vulnerable members of the community.
Veit was the first school-aged child to die from Covid-19 in the state, according to Holder. Kentucky has reported more than 160,000 cases and more than 1,700 deaths.