Chapter Six: Written by Sana Fasihuddin

Name: Sana Fasihuddin
Age: 26
Ethnicity: Asian Indian
Occupation: Student
Location: Lawrenceville NJ

I walked into my house after almost one month and the sight of what I saw shocked me. My dad was on his bed barely moving. He saw me and immediately lit up. “How are you doing,” he asked weakly. At that moment I forgot how to breathe. My whole world started to shake and I felt like I had lost control. Gathering my breath, I quickly took his temperature and oxygen saturation. He had a fever and his saturation was 89. I had never seen him so weak in my life. My mom looked worried and stood next to me while I started crying. I called my cousin, a hospitalist, who suggested me to get him to the emergency room as quickly as possible. I informed him of just that to which he replied “No, I don’t want to be left all alone.” My mom broke down into tears. My dad was our world. Being an only child, he was my best friend since I could remember. I told him I needed him to be ok and the only way he would be is if he went to the hospital. He finally agreed and struggled to get up.  

The sight of him scared me and with trembling hands I called my fiancé who immediately came to my side. He drove us to the ER where we helped my dad to the door. We weren’t allowed inside. I watched my dad from the windows as he struggled to walk to the front desk. I couldn’t hold my tears. It was perhaps the hardest thing I had to see. I waited in the car hoping to hear some updates of what was happening to him. Every hour I called the hospital and every hour I got the same response “We are doing tests, we don’t have any results”. After five hours the doctor called me back and said, “Your dad is COVID positive, we are admitting him into the hospital.” And right then my heart sank. Suddenly my childhood flashed before my eyes. My best friend was in the hospital. The person that I loved more than myself. The person that had given me my entire life. I wasn’t worried that I was now exposed to him, all I wanted was my dad to be ok. My mom and I reached home and started what seemed to be the longest week of our lives. We experienced symptoms almost immediately the next day. It was the worst possible headache, muscle aches, chills, every symptom you can name. But during this whole time, the uncertainty of my dad’s situation was what killed us the most.  

My days consisted of mostly the same things. I had to help my mom who had more severe symptoms than I, while I called the hospital every two hours on updates of my dad. School was on the backburner for me. My finals had begun and they were the last thing on my mind. My dad was my first priority. The doctor in charge of my dad consistently concluded that he was unsure of whether my dad will be able to recover. “I have seen people get better in 24 hours, but I also have seen people pass away in 24 hours,” he said. My nights were sleepless with my consistent calls to the hospital praying that my dad was not getting worse.

Exactly 7 days after my dad was admitted, we received a call from the doctor. He said my dads oxygen had improved tremendously in 24 hours. His requirement went from 6L on nasal cannula (the maximum dose) to none. I started crying in joy. “You can take your dad home.” Those were the most magical words I could have heard. I rushed to the hospital and saw my dad after what seemed like an eternity. I finally felt at peace. All I wanted was him by my side. He smiled as he saw me and praised the first responders. He said they were his heroes.  I told him that he was mine, and I was so proud of him.  

In this difficult time my friends and family were a huge support system. My friends constantly checked up on me. Some even came from Pennsylvania just to deliver me food. Every single one of my friends prayed for my dad. Those that did not believe in God texted me and said that they were praying every night that my dad would come back healthy. My fiancé who tested negative was the perfect son for my mother. He provided us with anything that we needed. He was outside my house every single day with essentials that we didn’t ask him for. He went above and beyond for us, which I can never forget in my life. My cousin cooked everyday and brought us food so cooking would be the last thing on our mind. My extended family donated money to those in need and prayed for my dad. The support system I had was beyond imaginable. We don’t realize the lives that we affect until we go through a difficult time. I am so thankful for everyone who was there for me. Those who texted me everyday and made sure I was ok. I could not have asked for anything more beautiful than the reciprocated love.

 It has been over five weeks since my family faced this unfortunate event. What have we learned from this? COVID is not a joke. We underestimated it immensely. I would watch the news and it would not seem real, but it got real, real fast. My dad has COVID pneumonia, and his diabetes has gotten worse. I still don’t have my sense of smell or taste and my mom is constantly coughing. It has been five weeks, we are all negative now but COVID is still affecting us. My dad was very responsible. He had a mask on the entire time he was outside. He did not go to any parties or gatherings, but he got COVID. He still doesn’t know how he got it but he did. Take this seriously and do your part. This affects everyone so please don’t be selfish. I hope the struggle and pain I experienced, no one has to experience in their lives.