95-year-old man survives COVID-19: ‘I felt really comfortable feeling that we’re going to beat this thing’
Bill Kelly has lived through the Great Depression and served in the South Pacific during World War II. Now, at 95 years old, he’s also fully recovered from COVID-19 — much to the delight of generations of his family and the rest of the nation, as we face the uncertainties of this global pandemic. “My theory is when you're born, what's going on in the world, you deal with it,” Bill tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “And that's what’s happened here in my life ... you do what you’re told and you get right through it.” Bill, who lives with his granddaughter Rose Etherington, 41, his grandson-in-law Isaac Etherington, 42, his daughter Susan Nelson, 65, and his two great-grandsons, Paxton, 5, and Chaston, 11 months, recently completed a two-week quarantine in Yamhill County, Oregon. On March 15, Bill started displaying mild symptoms. “He just looked a little off, and he mentioned he wasn't feeling very well,” says Rose. “So I was like, well, let's, let's take your temperature. So I did, and it was a low-grade, 100.7 degrees.” Due to his age and several pre-existing medical issues — including kidney disease, a congenital heart condition, and high blood pressure — the family decided to take him to the hospital immediately. “My mom actually took him in,” Rose says. “It was kind of scary because they just took him and sent her home. Like we don't want anyone to be here. And they took him, they kept him overnight.” Bill’s symptoms subsided by the next day, so he was released from the hospital on March 16. But on March 17, the family received the news that he had tested positive for COVID-19. “I work in the emergency medical field,” says Isaac Etherington, Kelly’s grandson-in-law. “And in the previous few days had been ... flying [with] some patients that were potentially positive. So the hospital deemed it worthwhile to give Grandpa Bill the test.” Bill was one of the first COVID-19 cases in Yamhill County, Oregon, where there have been 18 cases as of April 2. Isaac also received a test for the virus, but it came back negative. No one else in the family was tested or ever displayed any symptoms, but they were all instructed to quarantine for two weeks. The family explained that Bill, for the most part, was restricted to his bedroom. His symptoms included a low-grade fever, fatigue and loss of appetite. “There were a few days where … we were really worried,” says Rose. “He looked very ashen, and you could just tell that he was slipping.” But Bill’s spirits never sank. “In the morning I've got this record of, it’s called the party record,” says Bill. “And it has the chicken dance ... and [I] turned that on ... so it wakes the whole neighborhood, I think, but you gotta get going, you know?” After the first week of quarantine, Bill’s symptoms subsided, and he was able to rejoin the rest of the family in the house. “We’re honestly really grateful that grandpa was able to come home where he was surrounded by family,” says Rose. “Even just hearing us, I think really gave a lot of extra morale and strength.” As the two-week quarantine came to an end, Bill made a full recovery, and thankfully, the rest of the family has shown no symptoms of the virus. “Grandpa's gone through some tough times,” says Rose. “He doesn't complain about things. He just sees this a hard time, we're going to get through this. He has that fight.”
Video Transcript
BILL KELLY: My theory is when you're born, what's going on in the world, you deal with it. And that's what's happened during my life. You do what you're told, and you get right through it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ROSE ETHERINGTON: He just looked a little off. And he mentioned he wasn't feeling very well. So I was like, well, let's take your temperature. So I did. And it was a low grade, 100.7. So I was like, OK, we probably better call his doctor. Yeah, you better bring him in.
Grandpa does have some underlying health issues. We drove him to the hospital. My mom actually took him in. It was kind of scary because they just took him, and they sent her home. Like, we don't want anyone to be here. And they took him. They kept him overnight.
ISAAC ETHERINGTON: I work in the emergency medical field. I fly medevac, a Life Flight helicopter and in the previous few days had been in contact, had been flying some patients that were potentially positive. So the hospital deemed it worthwhile to give Grandpa Bill a test. And that's when he tested positive.
ROSE ETHERINGTON: We definitely went through that initial, just very fearful, because Grandpa's 95. And everything you're hearing about his age group is very negative.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ISAAC ETHERINGTON: Everyone was requested to stay in the house. And Grandpa Bill had to be quarantined to his room.
ROSE ETHERINGTON: It took a lot of coordinating. My mom, Susan, Isaac, and myself, the three of us had to work together to getting him fed, making sure everything was cleaned out of his room, and making sure that when we came out we were responsible and we went and washed hands. Isaac would set up a little place for him to get a little vitamin D because there were a few days where we were really worried. He looked very ashen, and you could just tell that he was slipping.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
BILL KELLY: In the morning, I've got this recording record-- it's called the "Party Record." It has the chicken dance, and do the hoochie coochie, and all that. Turned out--
ROSE ETHERINGTON: The hoochie coochie?
BILL KELLY: [LAUGHS] And so wake the whole neighborhood up, I'd say.
ROSE ETHERINGTON: Oh, yeah.
BILL KELLY: We've got to get going, you know?
ROSE ETHERINGTON: Grandpa's gone through some tough times. You know, he's from an Irish Catholic family back in Chicago during the Great Depression, had a tough experience, you know, in World War II in the South Pacific. He doesn't complain about things. He just sees this is a hard time. We're going to get through this. He has that fight.
BILL KELLY: I felt a comfortable feeling that we're going to beat this thing.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ROSE ETHERINGTON: Once he actually got a week of having no symptoms or having no fever, the doctor said he could come out and hang out with us. We're really honestly grateful that Grandpa was able to come home because we just feel like having him here at home where he was surrounded by family, even just hearing us, I think, really gave a lot of extra morale and strength.
BILL KELLY: They've told us what do do, and to do it, and have a good spirit, and smile. You know, you can either choose to be happy or you can just be sad. It's up to us.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
