12 • July 24 - 25, 2020 LOCAL • MASK UP Continued from page 1 ergy after washing my hair. I’d just grab and towel and collapse on my bed.” She went to the ER because the symptoms weren’t easing up. She received supplemental oxygen to help with her recovery at home. During the early days of her diagnosis, her 84-year old mother Ellen had been taking care of her. “You can’t tell a mom not to take care of her child. That’s their instinct. It’s just what moms do,” she says with a pause. “She was a bit stubborn and wanted to keep checking on me and make sure I had everything I needed.” Ellen, too, began to experience shortness of breath, so Sterett’s husband took her to the emergency room. A COVID test confirmed that she, too, had the virus. SIZZLING SUMMER SPECIAL! 2 FOR THE PRICE OF 1 thru AUG 31 Not valid with any other offer. Exp. 8/31/20 Unfortunately, Sterett’s condition continued to deteriorate. During a follow-up appointment, a chest X-ray showed her lungs were so riddled with the virus that they looked like snow. She had additional lab work and scans. A CT revealed another dangerous complication of COVID-19: blood clots in her lungs, resulting in admission to the hospital. By the time Sterett was admitted in the hospital, her mother was already on a ventilator there. “I can’t tell you how awful that was,” she says. “I was sick myself and was trying to make hard decisions over phone calls and FaceTime. Nothing prepares you for that.” Sterett was discharged after one day in the hospital. At the time, Ellen was still on life support. “She didn’t make it. I will always have guilt over that. I feel like I killed my mother because I gave her the virus,” Sterett says. “Truth is, I probably exposed her bransonglobe.com before I even knew I had it myself. Still, it’s really hard to think about.” Sterett says her mom was “everybody’s” mom. “My work girls loved her, too, and fell apart when she passed. She helps put a face on COVID-19, and it’s my hope that people will take care of each other so no one else has to go through this.” Sterett, who says she’ll look for cardinals as a sign from her mom, is still on blood thinners to keep her blood clots in check. She returned to work the day after Memorial Day. More than ever, she is an advocate for masking, as she believes it can help keep the virus from spreading to others, potentially saving lives. “I can talk until I’m blue in the face about the importance of wearing a mask, but some people will never change their mind,” she says. “I know they’re uncomfortable sometimes, but they are so, so, so important. If you’re not worried about yourself, please worry about others and do what you can to protect them. Mask up for me. Mask up for my mom.” Showtimes: 3pm or 8pm 1600 West 76 Country Blvd. Branson, MO Call for Tickets: 877-SIX-SHOW theSIXshow.com
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