Fighting a Virus Together collage

COVID-19 Special Content

Fighting a Virus Together

"Then COVID-19 hit—and dad, with lungs of steel and the heart of a lion, was fighting for his life at 61."

By Eric Fei • Illustrated by Koren Shadmi

I never saw my dad as old. He didn’t look it, and he didn’t act it. A professional opera singer with a great sense of humor, we was always the lie of the party. Then COVID-19 hit -- and dad, with lungs of steel and the heart of a lion, was fighting for this life as 61.

She was covid-free, but we still had to self isolate and comfort each other through masks, walls, and doors. No hugs or shoulders to cry on.

She was covid-free, but we still had to self isolate and comfort each other through masks, walls, and doors. No hugs or shoulders to cry on. From the next room she leaves a tray of food, “Dinner is ready,” she tells me, “eat it while it's still warm.”

Even worse, we couldn't be there with dad. We couldn't tell him that we loved him and to keep pushing. That was the hardest part.

My dad lives and breathes music. We filled his iPad with hundreds of songs by his idol, Luciano Pavarotti. His voice, we believed, could keep dad fighting.

This is how we spoke to him, this is how we told him that he wasn't alone, that we were there every second of every day, fighting with him.

And we fought hard. We worked tirelessly, making calls all over the world and helping our doctors in any way possible. What else did you try in wuhan?

Experimental drugs didn't work. Dad's kidneys and lungs failed. Then came the FDA’s okay for convalescent plasma. 72 hours later, he started to improve.

After 27 days in the hospital, he was finally able to leave. His care team cheered. The Rocky theme blared. He was hit, hard, but he damn sure kept moving forward.