>>> ONE MARYLAND FAMILY IS ENDURING UNIMAGINABLE GRIEF
RIGHT NOW AFTER THE SUDDEN LOSS
OF THEIR BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER.
THIS IS LELANI JORDAN.
SHE WORKED AT A LOCAL GROCERY
STORE AND DESPITE THE GROWING
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC SHE
INSISTED ON DOING HER JOB TO
HELP ELDERLY CUSTOMERS.
LELANI DIED LAST WEEK FROM
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. SHE WAS IN HER MOTHER’S ARMS
WHEN SHE DIED.
SHE WAS JUST 27 YEARS OLD.
JOINING US NOW, LELANI’S MOTHER.
ZENOBIA, I AM SO, SO SORRY FOR
YOUR LOSS.
YOUR LOSS. FOR THOSE OF US WATCHING, WE
DIDN’T GET TO KNOW LELANI.
TELL US ABOUT HER.
>> SHE WAS MY BUTTERFLY.
LELANI WANTED TO HELP ANYONE
THAT SHE CAME IN CONTACT WITH SO
SHE SAID TO ME, MOM, NO ONE IS
SHOWING UP TO WORK.
WE’RE SHORT STAFFED.
MOM, I HAVE TO TAKE MY OWN HAND
SANITIZER BECAUSE THERE’S NONE
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. THERE’S NO GLOVES AVAILABLE,
MOM.
MOM. HELPING SENIORS PUT THEIR
GROCERY IN THEIR CARS.
HELPING SENIOR GOES TO THE REST
ROOM.
ROOM. HELPING THEM TO GET THE ITEMS
THAT THEY ARE NEEDING TO GET.
SHE DIDN’T DISCRIMINATE ON AGE.
SHE DIDN’T DISCRIMINATE THAT --
SHE DIDN’T HAVE THE THOUGHT OF,
I DON’T THINK THE EDUCATION THAT
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN WITH
REGARDS TO THE CORONAVIRUS AND
THE DISTANCING.
THE DISTANCING. HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU’RE NOT GOING
TO HELP ANYBODY THAT CAN BARELY
WALK TO PUT THEIR GROCERIES IN A
GROCERY CART OR TO GET IN AN
UBER RIDE THAT’S PROBABLY ALSO
CONTAMINATED WITH THE COVID
VIRUS.
VIRUS. BUT TO ALSO TO HELP SOMEONE GO
TO THE BATHROOM AND TO CLEAN UP
AFTER THEM IN THE BATHROOM AND
YOU’RE ALREADY IN A VULNERABLE
CLASS?
CLASS? LELANI WORKS AT GIANTS GROCERY
STORE FOR SIX YEARS.
SIX YEARS.
SIX YEARS. SHE WORKED THERE FOR SIX YEARS.
AND NO -- AND NO ONE KNEW JUST
HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT SHE MADE
BUT THE CUSTOMERS.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT GOING OUT OF
THEIR WAY TO PROTECT THE
VULNERABLE CLASS LIKE THE SENIOR
CITIZENS THAT SHOP THERE FOR
THEIR VEGETABLES OR THEIR
PROVISIONS.
PROVISIONS. AND PEOPLE THAT ARE DISABLED
THAT WORK THERE.
YESTERDAY THEY FINALLY GAVE ME
LELANI’S CERTIFICATE OF WORKING
THERE FOR SIX YEARS.
THEY FINALLY GAVE IT TO ME
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. JUST YESTERDAY.
JUST YESTERDAY. SHE’S -- SHE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO
RECEIVE THIS HERSELF.
LELANI’S PAYCHECK.
LELANI’S PAYCHECK. I GOT HER PAYCHECK YESTERDAY.
HER PAYCHECK YESTERDAY FOR $20.
$20.64.
$20.64. MY BABY’S GONE BECAUSE OF
$20.64.
$20.64. YOU KNOW WHAT USING THE PROPER
PPE COULD HAVE DONE FOR MY BABY?
$20 IS ALL SHE GOT.
SHE WORKED SO HARD.
CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN FINDING ME
AND CALLING ME AND TELLING ME
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR BABY
DID FOR US EVERY DAY.
YOU DON’T KNOW THE FACT THAT SHE
SAID TO THEM, DO YOU NEED ANY
HELP.
HELP. LET ME HELP YOU.
NOBODY, NOBODY HELPED MY BABY.
NOBODY IS HELPING THE WORKERS.
NOBODY IS HELPING THE WORKERS TO
DO THEIR JOBS, TO HELP THEM, BUT
THEY’RE MAKING THE MONEY.
$20.
$20. ONE PAYCHECK.
ONE PAYCHECK. ONE WEEK.
ONE WEEK. $20.
$20. $20.64.
$20.64. AND SHE’S GONE.
THEY USED A DRUG IN THE HOSPITAL
CALLED HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE,
CALLED HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, CONTINUOUS DRIP.
CONTINUOUS DRIP. DID NOT WORK.
SHE WAS TOO FAR GONE.
TOO FAR GONE.
>> TELL ME, WHEN DID SHE -- WHEN
DID SHE START FEELING ILL?
>> I GOT INTO HER CELL PHONE
WHICH SHE LEFT UNLOCKED AND LEFT
ME A MESSAGE.
SHE TOLD ME HOW MUCH SHE LOVED
ME AND TOLD ME THAT SHE’D NEVER
GO BACK TO GIANT.
SHE EVIDENTLY STARTED FEELING
SICK BETWEEN, I WOULD SAY,
BETWEEN 16, 17, 18, 19.
SO THE INCUBATION PERIOD, IT HAD
ALREADY GOT HER WHEN SHE WENT TO
THE DOCTOR.
THE DOCTOR. SHE COLLAPSED.
SHE COLLAPSED. SHE WENT TO WALTER REED.
SHE COLLAPSED IN THE PARKING
LOT.
LOT. THEY PICKED HER UP AND PUT HER
IN ISOLATION.
IN ISOLATION. WITHIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, SHE
WAS IMMEDIATELY DIAGNOSED AS ONE
OF THE WORST CASE OF CORONA 19
VIRUS.
VIRUS. WHO IS PROTECTING THE WORKERS?
WHY CAN’T THE COMPANIES AND
CORPORATIONS PROVIDE THE BASIC
PPE, CLOSE THE BATHROOMS DOWN.
YOU CAN’T EVEN GO TO THE
PHARMACIES.
PHARMACIES. I DON’T CARE IF SHE WORKED AT
THE DOLLAR STORE.
I DON’T CARE IF SHE WORKED
TAKING THE TRASH OUT.
EVEN THE SANITATION, THE MAIL
PEOPLE, WHO IS PROTECTING THEM?
THAT’S MY BABY.
AND I CAN’T GET HER BACK.
IF PEOPLE PAYING $20 TO LOSE A
LIFE, TO LOSE A LIFE, $20 SO YOU
TELL ME WHAT A GREAT JOB SHE
DID.
DID. YOU TELL ME WHAT A GREAT JOB SHE
DID, GIANT.
DID, GIANT. AND THEN YOU GIVE ME A PIN.
THEY GAVE ME A PIN.
HER FIVE-YEAR PIN THAT THEY
SHOULD HAVE GIVEN TO HER LAST
YEAR.
YEAR. WHO IS PROTECTING THEM?
WHO IS PROTECTING THE SENIOR
CITIZENS THAT GO IN THERE EVERY
MORNING.
MORNING. WHO IS GIVING THE WORKERS THE
GLOVES THEY NEED TO PUT THE FOOD
ON THE COUNTER?
WHO IS PROTECTING THEM?
WHO IS PROTECTING THEIR
FAMILIES?
FAMILIES? WHO IS PROTECTING THEIR
FAMILIES?
FAMILIES? WHO IS PROTECTING THE LOWER
WORKERS THAT MAKE WAY LESS THAN
THE MANAGERS IN THE CORPORATION.
I JUST PRAY TO GOD THAT THIS
PROBLEM IS FIXED BECAUSE IF NOT,
WE HAVE REALLY GOT OUR HANDS
FULL IN THIS WORLD.
WE’RE ON THE ROAD OF
DESTRUCTION.
DESTRUCTION. DESTRUCTION.
DESTRUCTION. WE’VE GOT TO FIX THIS, AND I’M
DEPENDING ON YOUR COMPANY TO
PLEASE PUT THE WORD OUT.
I’M A MOTHER, AND I HAVE A HOLE
IN MY HEART FOR THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
LIFE. MY BABY IS GONE.
>> MRS. SHEPPARD, I’M SO SORRY.
I KNOW YOU’VE SET UP A GOFUNDME
PAGE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HELP.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> I SET UP A GOFUNDME PAGE.
MY FAMILY HELPED ME BECAUSE
LEILANI HAD NOTHING.
SHE HAD NOTHING.
THE GOFUNDME PAGE IS TO HELP
THIS ENTIRE -- I HAVE TO PAY FOR
BURIAL.
BURIAL. FIVE TO SIX MONTHS TO GET
BURIED.
BURIED. YOU CAN’T HANDLE A COVID FUNERAL
THE WAY YOU CAN HANDLE A REGULAR
FUNERAL.
FUNERAL. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE IN BODY BAGS.
WHAT MOTHER WANTS TO LOSE THEIR
BABY TO A VIRUS THAT WE CAN’T
SEE
SEE SEE?
SEE? YOU HAVE A MOM.
HOW WOULD YOUR MOM FEEL IF SHE
HAD TO BURY YOU?
JUST THINK.
JUST THINK. IF YOU HAD A SPECIAL BABY, A
GRANDMOTHER, NO ONE WANTS TO
LOSE THEIR LOVED ONE.
BUT FOR $20.64, THEY COULD HAVE
BOUGHT A BOX OF GLOVES TO GIVE
IN
IN TO THEM.
TO THEM. SHE DID THIS FROM HER HEART, NOT
FOR THE MONEY.
WELL, NOW HER FAMILY NEEDS
FINANCIAL HELP TO RECOVER.
WE NEED TO RECOVER.
WE NEED TO RECOVER.
MY BABY LEFT ME TO HEAL AND FOR
THE REST OF MY BODY, I WILL
ALWAYS HAVE THAT.
THAT’S MY BUTTERFLY.
THAT IS MY BUTTERFLY.
YOU ALL GOT TO HELP.
THERE’S NOR BUTTERFLIES IN THIS
WORLD.
WORLD. OLD ONES AND YOUNG ONES.
HER DOG, SHE HAS A SERVICE DOG
NAMED ANGEL.
NAMED ANGEL. ANGEL IS RUNNING IN CIRCLES.
SHE’S SO DEPRESSED.
SHE’S LOOKING FOR HER MOMMY.
SHE’S LOOKING FOR LEILANI.
WHY MY BABY?
YOU DON’T HAVE THE DRUG TO TREAT
THIS.
THIS. WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED RESOURCES TO HELP THE
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. >> MRS. SHEPPARD, WE HEAR YOU.
WE’RE GOING TO TWEET OUT THAT
LINK.
LINK. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR