Mother’s Death with COVID-19 Fuels Aurora Woman’s Mission | State and regional

After her mother passed away from COVID-19 last winter, her willingness to promote vaccination only increased.

But Karina Suarez-Darden remains frustrated that the city’s 60505 zip code, which covers the east side of Aurora between Chicago Premium Outlets and Phillips Park Zoo, remains Kane County’s lowest vaccinated zip code. .

About 42.7% of zip code 60505, with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the county, is fully vaccinated as of Thursday, according to state data.

Suarez-Darden, who has worked as a community health liaison for VNA Health Care for the past three years, said it has become her mission to connect with the community about the vaccine. If there’s a podcast in town, she wants to join. If she hears about a community rally, she asks the organizer if she can come and spread the word about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

She also founded United Neighbors Group in 2016, serves on Aurora’s Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, is vice chair of the Bilingual Parents Advisory Board for East Aurora School District 131, and leads her own neighborhood group that virtually met on Zoom.

“Almost 70-80% of my waking time is spent doing something with the community,” she said.

But she still struggles to educate residents about the vaccine.

“I try not to take it personally and tell them to check their sources. Sometimes I convince them, but other times they just start to think about it,” she said.

She hopes that this first spark will lead them later to ask her the magical question: “Will you make a date for me?” And if a resident asks, she says she’s giving up to make an appointment right away.

A friend of hers said he wouldn’t go unless she came with him, so she did.

“He was very nervous and told me he hadn’t slept the night before and was shaking,” she said. “It’s very difficult and we think people who don’t get the shot just don’t want to, but there’s a lot going on in the background. I’ll do whatever it takes to help them because I don’t not want someone to end up intubated in the hospital and be killed there. “

Suarez-Darden said that after her mother died with COVID-19 on December 12, 2020, at the age of 57, she continued to reach out to residents because she doesn’t want them to suffer the same pain as his family.

“I don’t give up because I know my mom is speaking through me,” she said. “There are people who have listened to me and it is always a challenge, but I just tell myself to let them know what can be avoided. I have been very moved the last few days, but this is part of my role of letting people know it’s not wrong. It’s real. “

Kane County Department of Health’s deputy director for community health, Michael Isaacson, previously said the department has partnered with churches and neighbors to speak directly to residents in areas with low immunization counts. Some residents have greater resistance than others, especially in Hispanic and black communities, he said. Aurora officials said they have worked with healthcare providers like VNA to host mobile pop-up clinics to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to specific neighborhoods.

Social media disinformation campaigns largely fuel community reluctance, Suarez-Darden said. She said rumors shared by friends or colleagues spread easily and people often do not verify their sources.

On top of that, Chrissie Howorth, vice president of communications for VNA, said many members of ZIP code 60505 also have competing priorities like food and housing insecurity while working multiple jobs.

“They have a lot of things competing for their time and attention and after long hours of work and sometimes during hours not very social, it’s difficult for them to take on one more thing,” Howorth said.

Since the start of the pandemic, 66 vaccine events have been held in zip code 60505 by VNA, Howorth said, and about 45 people have been vaccinated there during home visits.

Currently, mobile clinics alternate days outside Supermercado La Chiquita on Ashland Avenue and Supermercado El Guero on Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora. Information on the days the clinics are operating can be found on VNA Health Care’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

While Suarez-Darden said she couldn’t tell people how they would react to the shot, she shares her own side effects and research. She also believes her bold personality helps build confidence.

If a resident requests a vaccine, she says she follows up, reminding people of their next appointment and asking how they are feeling.

“I take care of them like they’re a crystal figurine,” Suarez-Darden said. “I hold them and don’t let go and check in to make sure they get their second chance. If people say that they are too busy working different shifts or looking after their children, I remind them that they have to stay healthy in order to function, otherwise their children cannot eat because they cannot. will not be able to work. They start to think, oh yeah, and it’s just so rewarding to make that change. “