Attorney Kayreen Stephenson, who was recently hospitalized with COVID-19, died a week ago.
Stephenson, 36, was hospitalised at the Infectious Disease Hospital after contracting the virus and remained there until she met her demise.
While this newspaper was unable to confirm the cause of her death, Stephenson, in a Facebook post over a week ago, stated, “I’m at Covid centre battling covid.”
She also had underlying health conditions, about which she was open. She noted in public bios that she suffered from lupus, diabetes, hypertension, a heart issue that requires beta blockers, hypothyroidism and end stage renal failure for which she was awaiting a transplant.
The attorney was described by those who knew her as hardworking and brilliant, and having a passion for human rights.
Several persons shared their sadness at her passing on social media as they reflected on the life she lived.
In a brief interview, Joel Simpson, Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and a friend of Stephenson, recalled the person she was.
He noted that she was passionate about voluntary work as she was keen on giving back after receiving a scholarship to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School.
Simpson said he was informed of Stephenson’s condition when he received a call from her and she informed him that she was in the Intensive Care Unit at the COVID hospital and had been placed on oxygen.
Stephenson, who had her own pro bono practice, had been involved in tutoring, and was most recently working to start a non-profit, “The Guyana Lupus Plus Foundation Inc.” However, due to her ailments she was unable to complete the project.
One of her bios noted that she had been an Attorney-at-Law since 2006, qualifying at the age of 21, and had been voted by peers at the University of Guyana as most likely to become a judge.
