Grandmother Sheryl Mulvey was forced to miss her grandson’s funeral at the height of Covid

A grandma who missed her grandson’s funeral has opened up about her painful journey.

A Queensland grandma who missed her grandson’s funeral after being forced into hotel quarantine at the height of the Covid pandemic says she still regularly sits by his gravesite and begs him for forgiveness.

Sheryl Mulvey was living in Victoria in 2020 when her grandson Gage Hepburn died suddenly at the age of 24.

She was given permission to travel to Townsville for his funeral but was not allowed out in time for the service and had to watch it online.

Grandmother Sheryl Mulvey lost her grandson Gage Hepburn at 24 years of age in the height of the Covid pandemic. Photo: Scott Radford-Chisholm.

The experience has left her deeply traumatised and Ms Mulvey says her story backs the findings released earlier this week by the Commonwealth’s independent Covid-19 inquiry panel which showed prolonged Covid measures left the community with a deep mistrust of authorities.

“I just can’t describe it. I still have nightmares over it,” Ms Mulvey said. “It’s on my mind all day, every day, I go out there and sit with him at the cemetery, and I just sit there and apologise for not being able to be there for him.

“I apologise to him for not being able to be with his mum and his sisters and family, and even after tests in that horrible quarantine period of 14 days negative.”

Ms Muley said she still remembered the terrible day she had to livestream her grandson’s funeral.

Grandmother Sheryl Mulvey lost her grandson Gage Hepburn at 24 years of age in the height of the Covid pandemic. Photo: Scott Radford-Chisholm.

“It was devastating. Just, watching my daughters. I’ve got other children too, watching my whole family and other grandchildren there, and I couldn’t grieve with them,” she said.

“I had this random nurse come into the room, and she said, “Look, we know you’re very upset. Would you like us to get someone to come in and sit with you while the funeral is being held?”

“I thought, How dare you. Why would I want someone I’ve never seen before or don’t know sitting with me while I am grieving my grandson?

“How ridiculous is that? They would let someone I didn’t know come into the room and sit with me, but they wouldn’t let me go out and sit with my daughter at her son’s funeral for my grandson.”

Ms Mulvey said it made what was already a difficult time even worse.

Grandmother Sheryl Mulvey lost her grandson Gage Hepburn at 24 years of age in the height of the Covid pandemic. Photo: Scott Radford-Chisholm.

“We still don’t know what happened. He was just found dead at the age of 24 in front of his TV news lounge, and my daughter still can’t talk about it,” she said. “I find I just lock myself in. I don’t want to talk to people. I’ve become very anti-social. I don’t trust anyone.

“It’s had a very emotional, bad effect on me, the fact that the government could do that to people.

“He was my first grandson. I looked after him from a very small baby. Soon as he came off the breast with my daughter, and I was able to bottle feed him.”

Ms Mulvey said she shared the same sentiment about the government as released in the report earlier this week.

“I don’t trust our government,” she said.

“I have no trust in any authoritative thing that you used to rely on and knew you could trust them. That’s gone.”