In the crazy times of Covid-19, the virus is hitting the world hard. Everyone is being impacted on both small and large scale. But the stories we hear on the news, the survival stories, the sickness stories, the deaths, they are not all the stories. There are many aspects of our lives that are evolving, and even things you would never think of. This particular story was shared on our Storyblend Facebook Group and it is about a girl’s best friend, who is basically her sister who contracted Covid-19. One thing I absolutely love about the Storyblend Facebook Group is the aspect of community that is present. People are truly there to share their stories and support one another. This story was a two part post, the initial story of a scared girl who was finding out her sister was sick, and a follow up story about her sister’s progress due to the outpouring of love and support from the group.
“I have a friend I’ve known since kindergarten which is nearly 30 years ago. For all intents and purposes, she is my sister. I call her sister. I love her as a sister. In no way is she “just a friend”. She also has a delicate medical condition herself. She works as a private healthcare aid and I’ve been terrified of her getting COVID from day one. She called me a few days ago and said her client had tested positive for COVID-19, as well as a co-worker. I was immediately concerned, but I knew masks had been in use. I also know that the masks get removed during meal times and while performing oral hygiene care on her client. Had she been exposed enough to catch it?
Last night she called me again. It was 9:30 here, which is odd for her as that was 7:30 her time. She’s usually busy with family time then so I don’t even try to call her during the dinner hours. She sounded like crap. I was hoping her test was negative, and that it was just an influenza virus, but she informed me that she’s positive. My sister has COVID-19 and it’s terrifying. So far her case is mild, but I’m still scared. She said she feels like she has a bad flu and can’t leave her room. We both hope it doesn’t get worse. She asked me not to post about it on my personal page and I am respecting that.
The CARES Act is ending just as her family needs it the most. I worry that her family will suffer. So many people are against renewal and that just seems so cruel to me. I feel helpless. I promised her when I moved that I’d always drop everything to get on a plane and come to her if she needed me. This time I can’t. She’s quarantined. I’m pregnant and due soon. Even if I drove home which is stupid and risky), I still couldn’t do anything. This has been hard to process, but I am a faithful person. Is there anyone out there in Storyblend land willing to pray for her?”
With an outpouring of love and support, boy did the Storyblend community pray for her. They sent prayers and well wishes. It was truly a beautiful thing to see. Everyone awaited for a follow up, stayed hopeful that her sister would improve and recover. Then the day came and said girl gave everyone the update they were waiting for.
“My sister got really sick. At first, she said it felt like a bad flu. Within days, she said that it was worse than that. She couldn’t believe the level of ill she was! I was calling her daily to support her. Even if she didn’t answer, she saw my missed call and knew I cared. One day, she texted back saying that she couldn’t talk because her throat hurt too much to talk. That’s pretty bad! That night she went into the hospital.
I waited all weekend for an update. Being states away, and Facebook silent, there isn’t much I can do but keep my phone close. Finally, on Sunday, her husband posted that she “hadn’t been well” and had “been in the hospital but was now home.” I called her the next day and she had COVID pneumonia. She’s been in and out of the hospital, but she seems to be winning the battle!
For as worried as I was, she is winning. Yes, she is fierce and stubborn and I knew she’d put up a fight – but I was worried COVID would just be too strong for her. True, she’s not fully recovered yet. From what I understand though, she’s probably going to be ok since she’s had it this long and is currently on a positive trend.
I want to thank everyone who responded again for all of the prayers and support! It really did mean a lot and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
There is something we can all learn from this – we can all support each other even from a distance. Reaching out to those we love and care about to check in is extremely important for everyones mental, emotional and physical health. It is very easy to get boxed up in a house and feel alone. If you don’t personally know anyone who has contracted Covid-19, you are very lucky and I hope it remains that way. I personally know several people who have had it, some who fought it at home, some who were hospitalized and a cousin of mine died. We hope to hear more positive stories like our Storyblender’s sister where the recovery is on it’s way. Sending prayers to our dear Storyblender and her sister.