Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Reginald Smith, of Denver, gets ready for his COVID-19 vaccination at Shorter AME Church in Denver, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.
Owetta McNeil, 82, does not like it when people mispronounce her name.
“It’s ‘OH WEE-TAH’ she admonishes, making sure people know her name should be pronounced with double “e” sound.
McNeil, who worked as a secretary for Denver Public Schools for more than 30 years, has lupus, leukemia along with several other medical conditions, and speaks haltingly after a stroke in March.
Even so, McNeil wasn’t sure what she’d do when doctors advised her to get the COVID-19 vaccine.