Negaunee mother asks Facebook to help spread positivity to son stationed in Italy
NEGAUNEE — Trey Lloyd of Negaunee is in his first year of service in the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry. He’s been stationed in Italy since September. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Italy is currently on lockdown—including the base where Trey is stationed.
His mother, Bethany Vaughn, says that being quarantined at the base is taking a toll on Trey and his fellow servicemen.
“He’s been on lockdown for close to a month now,” explains Bethany. “The base is a mile and a half all the way around, and they can’t leave base at all. So the mental strain on these soldiers that are out there—they’ve never experienced anything like this. And now they’re part of the military, trying to get by in a different country. That would be very hard to be so far away from home.”
With the number of lives lost in Italy over the last month and the uncertainty of what’s to come, Bethany says many servicemen are experiencing feelings of fear and sorrow.
So, Bethany had an idea. She went to Facebook and posted a call for friends and family to send some positivity Trey’s way.
“I was thinking that it would be a good idea to send some encouragement to the people that are overseas or serving in the military that are away from home,” explains Bethany. “We need to bring a little bit of home to them and make them forget about what’s going on, just for 24 hours even.”
She’s encouraging everyone to send Trey or a service member in their life a note, a picture, or something else that would bring them a little bit of happiness. Bethany says that Trey is giving so much for his family and his country, and she wants to be able to give something back.
“As a mom, I want to give to him love and support the best way I can,” Bethany says. “So I have thought a little bit creative. Bring him back to a time that he was happy, high school. All his songs that played on the radio, just silly memes, maybe some videos or just letters from home. Letters from home are probably just going to brighten his day.”
With schools being out of session due to COVID–19, Bethany says this is the perfect chance for parents to teach their children some valuable lessons.
“This is their opportunity to teach selflessness and to help others,” says Bethany. “Whether it’s Trey or somebody else they know, just take the time to think about it, put a stamp on an envelope, and mail it. And just knowing that you are helping somebody else during a time of crisis can go a long ways in life.”
Bethany hopes that giving Trey a little touch of home during this trying time will be a great help to her son—whether it’s from his mom, his friends, or supporters in his hometown. If you’d like to send a little happiness to Trey, items can be mailed to the address below. You can also find Bethany’s Facebook post here for more information.
Trey Lloyd (Airborne Infantry Italy)
C/O Bethany Vaughn
407 Teal Lake Ave
Negaunee Mi 49866