MOORHEAD, Minn. — Cory Schorn and his wife Heather remember their late nephew, identified by loved ones as 21-year-old David Stortroen. “He liked taking things apart and putting them back together again,” he said.
Schorn says his nephew was staying in a group home in Moorhead in Clay County when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 back in Nov. 5. “The guy that takes care of him said that they thought he was turning the corner, and Wednesday morning he could barely get up and ran him into the hospital and his organs failed him,” he said.
Heather Schorn said she could barely believe the news of her nephew’s sudden death. “My sister told me about it over the phone, and I just screamed out," she said.
On Sunday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported more than 7,559 new COVID-19 cases along with 31 new deaths. According to MDH, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most positive cases with 26,058 cases.
Gov. Tim Walz addressed the issue during a recent press conference. “We lost a 21-year-old with no underlying health conditions,” Walz said.
“I’m still in shock right now,” Heather said.
While the family is left remembering David, they’re asking people to take the virus seriously. “Be protective out there so we can go back to our normal lives,” Cory said.