In her obituary, a family says a mother's Covid-19 death could have been prevented if more people were vaccinated
(CNN) The day Candace and Terry Ayers got their second
Covid-19 vaccination in early March was a day of hope and excitement for the entire family.
"I took my parents to get that second jab, and we were all so excited," said their son, Marc Ayers. "We are a family that believes in science. We believe in masks, and we believe in vaccines. We were ready to get back to normal."
But his mother, Candace Ayers, died nearly six months later following a July trip with her husband to Mississippi. Her death certificate says she died of Covid-19.
Her obituary, in the
local newspaper, the State Journal Register, in Springfield, Illinois, read in part:
"Candace Cay (Kruger) Ayers, 66, of Springfield, passed away on September 3, 2021, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, IL. She was preceded in death by more than 4,531,799 others infected with Covid-19. She was vaccinated but was infected by others who chose not to be. The cost was her life."
Marc Ayers believes his mother was infected when she visited Mississippi, where vaccination rates remain among the lowest in the nation. Only
42% of Mississippi's population was fully vaccinated by mid-September, according to the state's health department.
"This all could have been avoided," Ayers said. "This could have been prevented by a few acts of kindness. They were in a state that had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Getting a vaccine and wearing a mask for others ... had this been done, she would be here today."
Candace Ayers of Springfield, Illinois: In her obituary, a family says a mother's Covid-19 death could have been prevented if more people were vaccinated - CNN