When Good Stories Go Bad

Yesterday, there was an article on RawStory with the notable headline --

’‘I cried and cried’: Unvaccinated Republican assumed COVID-19 ‘wouldn’t be that bad’ – then came perilously close to dying.”

It was an interesting article about the chairman of the Republican Party in Lakeland, Florida, and wrote a Facebook post about his recent experience contracting COVID-19.

"I haven't shared this with many people,” he wrote, “but I just spent the last few days confined to a small room in the COVID unit at Lakeland Regional Health with COVID pneumonia in both my lungs.”

He had contracted the virus at a volleyball tournament where his daughters were playing.  In addition to being a local GOP chairman the fellow was a Lakeland Police sergeant, and as a U.S. Army Reserves Chief Warrant Officer, he has guarded military officials on trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.  He returned from his last tour earlier in the year and felt he was in top shape, and “always haphazardly assumed it wouldn't be that bad if I caught the virus.”

But he caught the virus, and the experience was horrific. His temperature spiked, he couldn’t breathe, he thought he might die driving to the hospital, was in the ER for 10 days, got an experimental medication, was sent only, but returned the next night when his temperature spiked again, he was shaking uncontrollably and his blood oxygen levels plummeted, he couldn’t catch his breath and was sure he was dying.

“The nights were filled with the sounds of people coughing uncontrollably and crying. Everyone was alone and desperate for help," he wrote.  “I cried and cried as I began to accept that I probably wasn't going to make it out of the hospital alive. Everyday had just been more bad news and my symptoms kept getting worse."

As he was in the hospital crying and praying, a patient care assistant came over and prayed with him.  After they finished praying, the assistant grabbed his shoulders and told the fellow to look at him – “We’re brothers in Christ – aren’t we?” he wrote about what the care assistant said to him, “I said yes and he said, 'You're going to be okay - you have to believe that.  He literally gave me hope and that's when things started turning around for me. I was released a couple nights later and now I'm finally home recovering. I'm still not out of the woods, but I'm home and that's progress. Praise God!"

He also wrote that he believes in everyone's personal choice, but no one is free of consequences. He said he's not an anti-vaxxer but that he had taken his time getting the vaccine and was never good about wearing a mask. 

I’ve left out his name and a link to the article (as well as the original Facebook post, which I read) because I think it’s a teeth-gnashing dismal story -- but since it’s so heart-wrenching, and admirable he decided to write about his terrible experience, I don’t want to make it personal, slamming someone who went through something that grueling and is telling about it.

But it’s still a story that makes me angry.

He’s not only a Republican Party chairman, but also a police officer, and a U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer.  Someone deeply trained as a public official and officer to protect the public.  And yet, “I haven't shared this with many people.”  He should have shared it with everyone he possibly could, as soon as he could.  Yes, admittedly, it’s a harrowing experience and one it probably takes time to go public with.  But again, that’s his training.  To protect and serve and lead and guard people.  I would think his experiences in war zones were traumatic, as well, but he handled them with great courage.  And yes, I know my reaction is harsh – but not only is that why I’m leaving out his name, but my reaction isn’t based only on this.  If this was the only thing, I’d leave it be and be full of admiration.  But it’s the rest of what he wrote which, to me, makes “I haven’t shared this with many people” the perfect precursor – especially for a Republican Party local chairman.

Like, after all this hellish experience, that he still can write that he believes in everyone's personal choice, but no one is free of consequences. No, this is not about “personal choice.”  This is a world pandemic health crisis with an infectious disease.  And all those people filling the ER and crying with him had been infected by others who made their “personal choice” – and one of the consequences of that is all these other innocent people distraught and on the edge of dying.  (And by the way, we don’t know how many of them did die.)  Further, we don’t know how many others this fellow – and all those others crying in the ER – infected from their “personal choice” and how many of them died, but not before infecting others.  Right, no one is free of consequences – but the consequences aren’t merely that “I might get sick and die,” but also that I might infect many other innocent people who might die…because of my “personal choice.”

And he wasn’t ever good about wearing a mask.  Well, no, he wasn’t.  So, as a public official and officer protecting others who went through a grisly nightmare, likely because he wasn’t good about wearing a mask, how about helping protect others by telling them to wear a mask, rather than leaving it to a “personal choice,” since wearing a mask will probably protect you and all the many others from infection and death.  Only in the very last paragraph does he write, "Please take it seriously and remember to wear a mask."  No explanation of why it's so critical and real and important.  Just "Even if you think they’re silly, it’s better than sitting all alone in a COVID unit wishing you had."  Not explaining that, no, they're not silly.  Just that, hey, y'know, they may be silly but at least they're better than dying.  Cool.  That'll convince people a year in.

And his last two words are, "Stay safe!"  But the thing is, as he himself wrote about himself -- he thought he was staying safe.  He thought he was in good condition.  He thought he was doing everything fine.  Until he ended in the ER for weeks, crying with others, sure he was going to die.  But yeah, ignore all his own lessons and "Stay safe!"  But that's what we all know.  That's what our moms told us when we were four years old -- put on your mittens, stay safe.  How about -- do more than you think you're doing and protect yourself and others and pay attention to the actual medical experts and don't only wear a mask, but -- and this is something that isn't mentioned anywhere in the piece, nowhere, not a word -- get vaccinated!!!!!

Hey, yeah, about suggesting that?!

And finally, while I think it’s lovely that he found comfort from someone who prayed with him, I would suggest that it wasn’t prayer that saved him, but science and the doctors and his medical care treatment.  And while praising God – which is fine, and I’m sure core to who he is – how about also praising doctors and science and medical care personnel?

This isn’t a story about praising God and things finally turning around when he prayed and got hope.  It’s about a man in a position of public protection and responsibility, who avoided taking precautions, went through hell, thought he was about to die, was surrounded by many others like him, some of who probably did die, likely infected others, some of whom may have died, got comfort from a good soul, was given great medical care that helped him survive – and still isn’t yet telling people to protect themselves, but that it’s a “personal choice” and praise God.

It was a ghastly experience.  I’m so glad he survived, even with other health issues.  And he wrote about what he went through movingly.  Good for him on all of that.  But this is so right-wing Republican Party pathetic shameful in ignoring the larger reality outside of what he went through.  Even as the pandemic is spiking – especially in states where so many residents “are never good with masks.”  Not a word about...getting vaccinated!!!

But hey, stay safe.

By the way, praise science, too.  And while you're at it, praise doctors, as well.