Daughter Writes Heartbreaking Farewell After Mom Dies Of Rare Mosquito-Borne Disease

Sep 02, 2019 by apost team

Losing a parent is a life-altering event. All of a sudden, the person that you’ve known all your life and who has cared for you and loved you is gone. People that experience this great loss manage their grief in different ways. A woman in Massachusetts who recently lost her mother is making headlines after she wrote a letter expressing how much her mother meant to her and posted it to social media.

Jen Sylvia lost her mother Laurie to a rare mosquito-borne illness known as eastern equine encephalitis earlier this week, according to WCVB-TV. The disease, which is usually abbreviated as EEE by medical professionals, attacks the central nervous system, leading to brain infections. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, around a third of all patients who contract EEE die from the condition.

While incredibly rare, EEE can be treated if it is caught early enough. In Laurie's case, her condition was too far along for doctors to help. The real estate agent and proud mother of three died within six days of contracting the illness at the age of 59. Speaking with People Magazine, Laurie's husband Robert said that he isn’t sure where she could have been bitten by a mosquito.

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Jen was greatly grieved by the loss of her mother and poured all of her emotions into a letter she posted to Facebook highlighted by People.

"Today I had to say goodbye to my best friend,' she wrote. "My mum was my favorite person in the world. She brought light and joy to everyone she came across." 

Jen also expressed gratitude toward Laurie for being a fantastic grandmother to her children as she struggled with the realization that she would never see her face again in this life. Although feeling intense sadness, Jen says that she will follow her mother’s example by living her life to the fullest and loving with everything she has. "Mum, I hope you find the beach in heaven. I’ll meet you there one day," her post ends.

According to the Massachusetts’s Department of Public Health, Laurie was the fourth case of EEE in the state this year. The agency recommends that the public minimize their chance of contracting mosquito-borne illnesses by wearing long sleeve shirts and pants and staying inside during the insect’s peak hours of activity, which are between dusk and dawn.

It is so sad when somebody dies young who has had so much to give. But it's comforting to think that Jen will try to keep her mother's memory alive and live her life to the fullest as her mother had taught her. What do you think of Jen's loving tribute? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.