Woman Grieves Losing Brother, Parents To COVID-19, Prays For Husband On Life Support

In a report by Columbus Dispatch, 54-year-old Kelly Conkey Billups said her 51-year-old brother David Conkey was the first to die from COVID-19 on Sunday. Then on Tuesday, her parents Lewis and Judith Conkey died from the same illness just hours apart at the hospital.

An Emotionally-Charged Interview

In an interview with the newspaper while quarantined at her home in Grove City, Conkey Billups said the events had broken her family. She likened it to a huge winter storm where you prepare and hunker down, not knowing how bad it is going to be or how long it will last.

“It’s like a nightmare,” said Ms. Billups, while wondering what will happen when it is all over and how will she be able to recover. Now, she doubts whether she can still dig herself out of all of these things.

A Turn For The Worse

As if the previous three depressing events were not enough, her husband, 51-year-old Don Billups, is still in the hospital and on a ventilator as of late Wednesday. Ms. Billups told the newspaper that while her husband is still listed as critical, at least he is said to be in a stable condition.

When Don Billups submitted himself for COVID-19 testing, he initially tested negative. The doctors, however, suspected that his result might be a false negative. In a report by WJW-TV, Ms. Billups is still waiting for the results of her husband’s second test.

One After Another

In an interview with the Dispatch, Ms. Billups said that her brother tested positive for COVID-19 a few weeks ago. He then felt ill in early March upon arriving at his Austintown home. Her brother had been helping their mother, who was already 75 years old, get settled in at a Hilliard rehab center.

According to Ms. Billups, her brother, David, was then found to suffer from double ear and sinus infections. This was before he was placed on a ventilator. A couple of days later, their 77-yar-old father, Lewis Conkey, got sick and then followed by his wife. David and his parents all had existing medical conditions, according to a report by WJW-TV.

A Happy Family

During the interview with the Dispatch, Ms. Billups said that her parents were “absolutely amazing.” She said that her parents did everything together for 57 years. In fact, she recalled, they all did everything together as a family. “It was all of us or none of us,” said Ms. Billups.

As Ms. Billups continue to pray for the speedy recovery of her husband, she gave out a message for others whose lives have been affected by the global pandemic. Billups said she wants people to understand the importance of social distancing and staying home. She said that is the point she wants to be driven home, saying, “I want to spare another family the pain and trauma that we are living.”