Strung Out 36 THE DEER CAMP

Send us Fan Mail[00:00:00] [00:00:00] Martin McCormack: [00:00:00] I'd like to welcome John and Patricia Kennedy to Strung Out.  It's great to have you on the program. [00:00:06]Patricia Kennedy: [00:00:06] Thank you, Marty. [00:00:07] John Kennedy: [00:00:07] Thank you, Marty. Good to be here. [00:00:08]Martin McCormack: [00:00:08] This is an  important topic that we are talking about tonight.  I am so grateful that you are willing to talk about it because I think a lot of people are in the dark as far as just how serious COVID can be.  The experience that you both went through and going through is quite amazing.  I'd like to start. by John, you telling the story.[00:00:31] John Kennedy: [00:00:31] Yeah. All right. I think I have a pretty good memory of it. Back in November the middle of November, the second week we traditionally gather at my brother's farm over in Missouri for deer camp.   I had already thought that with the COVID raging that I would decline, but my brother had received a doctor's diagnosis last summer that he had a rare intestinal cancer and he wasn't going to be around too long. So I decided to take the risk [00:01:00] and head over to deer camp.  My other two brothers joined our fourth brother over there. And one of them that cares for my father brought him along.  We arrived there on a Friday afternoon and found Dad Saturday morning with a fever and we ran him down to Hannibal, Missouri for a COVID test.  That came out positive.  I think we found that out on Monday, but his fevers persisted, and he was just not acting normal. He was 91.[00:01:28] He was struggling with breathing and always struggled with the first day or so, being away from home, which was this familiar environment. He never wanted to leave there and more recent years.  He spent that week with us and we noticed him getting weaker and Friday a week from the day he had arrived there, my brother took him back to his home . The rest of us left deer camp on the following Tuesday and ended up going back to dad's home because they had put him into hospice. On the Monday after he'd gotten [00:02:00] back. [00:02:00]Martin McCormack: [00:02:00] John,  any idea how he might've come down with COVID since he was at home?[00:02:04]John Kennedy: [00:02:04] His care taker, we believe. She had been tested a few days before dad came over to camp and she was negative according to the test. But the day that they brought dad over, she found out that her taste was going. So I think she realized then that. The test had been wrong. It was false negative.[00:02:23] She, and I believe one of her young children also ended up with it, but we expect that's where dad picked it up.  Deer camp being what it is, a collection of family and friends, all huggers and not really mask wearers. We all got, together, we really wondered what would happen with the COVID and Dad having that in terms of spreading. But we really only had one other person, a nephew ended up with COVID and his was not a serious case.  He lost his taste and probably had a mild fever.  I don't believe he was ever confined to bed. [00:02:54]Martin McCormack: [00:02:54] And how old is that nephew?[00:02:55] John Kennedy: [00:02:56] Mid twenties, maybe?[00:02:57] Martin McCormack: [00:02:57] Mid twenties, so young.  [00:02:58] John Kennedy: [00:02:58] There were a number of folks [00:03:00] in there of all ages and nobody hesitated to hug dad or Patrick under the circumstances they knew they wouldn't have a lot more opportunities.  These were folks that were used to seeing them every yearat deer camp. . But it was pretty amazing. Only one person came out of that whole week with COVID other than dad.  Then when we went back to dad's house, we gatheSupport the showWe are always grateful to have you listening to STRUNG OUT.    Here are some important links:SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MartyfineaKMARTIN'S WEBSITE:http://www.MARTINMcCORMACK.COM  (note---you can get my weekly bulletin when you sign up on the list!)MARTIN'S MUSIC: Music | Martin Laurence McCormack (bandcamp.com)Martin McCormack | SpotifyMARTIN'S YOUTUBE CHANNELMartin McCormack - YouTubeFACEBOOKFacebook...