Stony Brook nurse, 28, dies after brief cancer battle, leaves behind young son

A 28-year-old Stony Brook University Hospital nurse has died following a brief but aggressive battle with cancer.

Cheryl Covington, from Wyandanch, died July 31, about three months after she was diagnosed in May, her family said.

Support has flooded in for the registered nurse’s 5-year-old son and mother via a GoFundMe established one day before her death. The fundraising effort has raised more than $13,000 from 220 donations.

Services for Covington were held Aug. 13 and 14 at Joseph A. Sligar-Hasgill Funeral Service in Amityville.

Covington, who graduated from Wyandanch High School, worked for five years as a registered nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital. Recognized for her compassion for others and genuine kindness, she had dreamt of becoming a nurse practitioner.

“Cheryl was the life of the party. Anyone who knew Cheryl knew that she loved to have a good time, and she loved to laugh,” family said in her obituary. “She loved to eat good food and was always trying something new. Anyone who knew Cheryl also knew the sense of fashion she had. She had an extensive and beautiful wardrobe that screamed ‘Cheryl Covington.'”

Covington is survived by her son, D’Angelo; parents Carlisa and William Covington; and two brothers, James and Bryan.

“As a mother, Cheryl’s greatest joy was her son, D’angelo,” her obituary reads. “Her love for him was boundless and unconditional, and she devoted herself to providing him with a life filled with warmth, guidance, and happiness.”

_{Top: GoFundme and Joseph A. Sligar-Hasgill Funeral Service in Amityville}