Kevin’s powerful testimony challenges us to #DoTheRightThing

A family man, with two young children, Kevin may, however, be worth listening to when it comes to how we prepare for gradual emergence from lockdown.

The worst of the pandemic, for most at least, may be over but there’s still a path to recovery to consider.

#DoTheRightThing is there among the major challenges we must all confront and as a Covid-19 survivor, this is where Kevin’s testimony and values offer assistance.

When your children come rushing down to your makeshift ground floor bedroom and his first question is ‘daddy are you feeling better’ you recognise the value of family and the preciousness of health.

Kevin-s-Story--DoTheRightThing

Kevin is adamant vaccinations are vital and their importance cannot be overstated.

“I cannot believe the myths being put around about them,” he says.

He also admits “from a selfish point of view I don’t want it again” so is being ultra-cautious for both himself and his family.

“Vaccinations have a vital role to play but he fears over confidence in their effectiveness may stop people taking simple precautions.

“The truth is we simply don’t need to rush back to how things were before,” he says. “We do though just need to take it a little more carefully”.

In practical terms, he feels masks may remain us with for a while in crowded areas and for him #DoTheRightThing has led to disagreements even to point where “I’ve lost a few friends along the way because of our differences”.

His own story, not dissimilar to tens of thousands of others, began on March 25, 2020.

He had been in work (he’s an IT trainer) and was working from home and began to feel “a bit rough”.

A severe headache was quickly followed by coughing and the following morning, he says, he woke “with the feeling of being hit by a hammer. It was horrendous – and it all started from there”.

Kevin Delaney has spoken out publicly in the hope that his experience of Covid-19 will encourage us all to #DoTheRightThing (Image: Archant)

An underlying health issue – he is asthmatic- prompted a call to the NHS free phone number who advised to stay home, take paracetamol and “look after yourself”.

The following day, he says, he felt “even worse, I couldn’t go to bed, or lay down, and was coughing so much I simply sat in the armchair”.

Another NHS call prompted the response he was “borderline” so the advice to stay at home continued.

By the next day, he got hold of his GP “who took over my care, prescribed liquid morphine” among other remedial actions.

Kevin went through following days, losing two stone in a few weeks, and feeling helpless as his wife home-schooled their son and 13-year-old daughter.

Kevin, 52, slept downstairs and “there were some nights I was not sure if I would get through it. It was a total nightmare”.

Ironically by May he was admitted, finally, to hospital “when I was feeling a little better”. His GP believed new pains in his ankle and leg could be caused by blood clots and so he was admitted to Addenbrooke’s.

And for the first time diagnosed with Covid-19 but happily was only forced to stay two days.

His suspects his wife got a mild dose of the disease, and his daughter suffered slightly with it, losing her taste and sense of smell. At the time, however, they couldn’t be tested.

Today Kevin faces a long haul to full recovering, his lungs remain damaged and he’s uncertain how much of it may be permanent.

However, he’s back at work, and willing for his story and experiences to be shared to encourage other to #DoTheRightThing.

“There are things I want to do, I love watching live sport but don’t feel right about it just yet,” he said.

“When you’ve gone to bed wondering if you’re going to get through the night, I suppose that does change you a bit.

“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to be a bit more tolerant.”