Stories Affecting Damien

Tony Chen, Vice President of the ISP Program at Damien High School

My family and I are from Wuhan, China, the city known as the epicenter of the outbreak. Both of my grandparents from my dad's side, who is living in Wuhan, contracted the virus, with my grandpa first contracting it, followed by my grandma.

My grandpa, Chen Yihe, 82, was tested positive for the virus in early January. He had never been to or been close to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, the locale widely believed as where the virus started. My grandpa most likely contracted the virus during the advent of the Chinese New Year, where millions of Chinese migrate across the country to reunite with families. After testing positive for the Coronavirus, then an unknown, mysterious virus believed to be a type of pneumonia, my grandpa was immediately hospitalized and was soon transferred to Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital—a quarantine hospital specialized in treating Coronavirus patients—with my dad looking after him.

With the Coronavirus spreading rapidly, the city of Wuhan was locked down on January 23; all modes of transportation were suspended, and people were not allowed to leave their houses. My mom was in Huanggang, a city next to Wuhan, at that time. She was stuck there because of the lock down in Wuhan, so she was unable to go and assist my dad in taking care of my grandma. Soon after, Huanggang was locked down as well.

Due to my grandpa's age and his underlying health conditions, my grandpa's health deteriorated. The doctors soon declared him as critically-ill, and my grandpa even began drafting a will, preparing for the worst.

I, on the other side of the world, was devastated by the news. Since I left China to pursue an education in the US at the age of ten, I was never able to spend abundant time with my grandparents and relatives. I have not been back to my hometown for the Chinese New Year, the most important celebration in China and a time for family union, for the past 5 years. I felt helpless. My other fear was that my dad would contract the virus while taking care of my grandpa, an outcome that will certainly be devastating for my family.

Fortunately, my grandpa's strong will and determination bestowed him the strength to combat the virus. Although he was the oldest patient in the Jinyintan Hospital, day after day, my grandpa's health was slowly recovering and he was again able to perform daily tasks such as eating and using the restroom without assistance. While still in the hospital, my grandpa was interviewed by China Central Television (CCTV), the largest news broadcaster in China. CCTV chronicled his story and even broadcast it live on CCTV 1, the flagship channel of Chinese television. With the care of the hard-working doctors, my grandpa's health returned to normalcy and went home in early March.

While my family and I were overjoyed by my grandpa's recovery, another news came: my grandma was tested positive for the virus and hospitalized. My grandma, Liu Fengying, was in Xiangyang, a city next to Wuhan, and my dad rushed over to take care of her. Fortunately, my grandma's symptoms were mild, and her conditions were soon stabilized. Currently, my grandma is still receiving treatment in the hospital but is getting better every day.

Being from the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, my family and I never thought that this would happen to us. I am still astounded by the fact that a disease believed to have originated from my beloved hometown would cause such a repercussion around the world. My thoughts go out to all the families affected by the Coronavirus. Having experienced the devastation of the virus first-hand, I hope everyone will realize the seriousness of the situation and practice social distancing to protect your loved ones and others.