GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gastonia woman is urging people to get vaccinated after her grandmother died from COVID-19 last week.
Edna Stafford, 80, died shortly after being diagnosed with the virus. Her granddaughter, Lauren Stafford, described her as an adult who was still a kid at heart.
"She's sassy, but she was sweet at the same time," Stafford said. "Just being in the same room really was probably the best thing ever because we were always laughing."
Stafford said her grandparents were among the first people in their age group to get the Pfizer vaccine in Gaston County.
"Since she got COVID, she was probably in the hospital alone three or four days before we actually got to see her," Stafford said. "I told her not to worry about us. She was the best grandmother, wife, sister, great-grandma, mom. She was the best that anyone could ever ask for."
Stafford said her grandmother tested positive for COVID-19 after a trip to the hospital for a different issue, and her condition quickly worsened. Despite being vaccinated, Stafford believed her grandmother's underlying health issues made her more susceptible to a serious illness if she got the virus.
At the same time, she and her grandfather also tested positive, but she said they had no symptoms, which she credited to the vaccine.
It's why she's alarmed by the number of people refusing to get a vaccine.
"These are people's family members and their loved ones that you're putting at risk," Stafford said. "You may not get someone else sick, but the one person that you do get sick means a lot to someone."
Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.