Kentucky cancer survivor dies of Covid-19

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A 15-year-old cancer survivor died from Covid-19 after contracting the virus in October, Kentucky officials said.

© Courtesy of Ballard County Emergency Management
Alexa Rose Veit, 15, died of Covid-19 on November 15. (Courtesy of Ballard County Emergency Management)

Alexa Rose Veit, who was born with special needs and survived an episode of leukemia in 2019, started showing symptoms on October 26 and underwent a routine Covid-19 test. Her mother also started to feel unwell and was tested. Days later, the two 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. Meanwhile, Veit’s grandparents have also been 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 while their mother was still hospitalized.

Veit’s condition continued to deteriorate and she was also placed on a ventilator. She died on November 15, a day after her mother was released from the hospital and rushed to her daughter’s side.

Veit, who was a freshman at Ballard Memorial High School in Barlow, Ky., Has been described as a “social butterfly” whose infectious smile could brighten up anyone’s day.

“Our world is a little less bright today without Alexa, and she will always be missed,” Ballard Memorial High School wrote on her Facebook page.

Holder implored residents to take the virus seriously and take precautions to protect 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 over 160,000 cases and over 1,700 deaths.