COVID-19: Caregiver youngest Cypriot to die in UK

A campaign has been launched to raise funds for the family of a 26-year-old Turkish Cypriot nurse who is the youngest UK Cypriot to lose their life to COVID-19.

According to London-based Greek Cypriot newspaper Parikiaki, Sonya Kaygan, who worked as a caregiver, joined a long list of around 300 Cypriots living in the UK to lose their life after contracting the novel coronavirus.

UK Cypriots make up almost 6% of all COVID-19 deaths recorded in London as more than 287 diaspora Greek and Turkish Cypriots have lost their lives to the virus.

Parikiaki has on several occasions called on the British authorities to perform extensive tests on members of the Cypriot community.

Sonya Kaygan, a caregiver at the Elizabeth Lodge Care Home in Enfield, London was known for dedicating her life to taking care of people belonging to vulnerable groups.

Sonya, who was a single parent to her 3-year-old daughter, moved to London three years ago to be near her mother. She died last month.

Sonya’s mother is taking care of the toddler, with the paper calling on readers to make a contribution to the family.

The paper quoted Sonya’s mother, saying she was forced to leave her job to take care of her granddaughter “because the government did not offer frontline workers sufficient protection”.

Ayse Kaygan said her daughter should have been given PPE as soon as the virus was discovered.

Now looking after Sonya’s daughter, who is also called Ayse, the heartbroken gran said: “The baby keeps asking, ‘Where is Mum?’ What can I tell her?”

She said: “It’s all I can do for my daughter now, and I am happy to do it but we are all heartbroken. I cannot believe my daughter has gone.”

The paper urged people to “come together to help support Sonya’s family during this time of grief. The money raised will go a long way in making life more bearable after experiencing this unexpected tragedy”.

The funds will go towards funeral costs and the care of her three-year-old daughter.

Sonya Kaygan fund page donate HERE

https://www.gofundme.com/f/care-worker-sonya-kaygan-26-loses-covid19-battle