COVID-19 SURVIVORS | Mom suffered from depression and dad is paralysed - but they beat the virus

Lucinda Bredell says her battle with depression helped her beat Covid-19. Her struggle with the virus inadvertently began when her teenage son went on a Youth Day hiking trip, not knowing that one of his friends had Covid-19.

Xander, 19, said he thought it would be fine because none of his friends showed any symptoms. 

​“I didn’t think any of my friends had it because they didn’t seem sick. When I found out I was positive, I wasn’t really scared because I knew if you are young you’ll be fine,” Xander said.

It wasn’t until the next week when he tested positive and was quarantined in their granny flat, at their home in George, that he began to worry. On June 27, Lucinda, 46, woke up with a sore throat, a runny nose, loss of smell and taste – and then tested positive for Covid-19.

“I was overcome with fear; it immediately felt like my heart dropped into my shoes,” said Lucinda. “There was this sudden shock. OK, it’s positive. I have co-morbidities. How do I deal with this now?

“My son’s biggest fear when he heard his friend had tested positive was what if he had given it to me and I died. We had to deal with that emotional trauma as well,” she said. 

Xander said when he saw his mother struggling to breathe and looking weak, he was scared and started stressing she might not survive because of her underlying conditions. 

In 2009, Lucinda was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes muscular and bone pain, fatigue and affects one's mood and memory. She also has type 2 diabetes and suffers from anxiety and depression. By 2011 her condition was so bad, she was unable to work.

The next blow came in December 2012 when her husband, Ian, 51, broke his neck while hiking with friends; he is now paralysed from the chest down.

He described it as a freak accident. The avid climber was leading the hiking trip with friends, at the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve between Swellendam and Heidelberg in the Western Cape. He dived into a rock pool and hit his head on a rock, injuring his spine, leaving him wheelchair bound.

Ian, who is a former police officer, was the only one who tested negative.

“It wasn’t easy for me, we felt it [Covid-19] wouldn’t come near our house so when we got the news, it was challenging. The thought occurred that Lucinda wouldn’t make it. I prayed for her, I kept telling myself this is my wife and she won’t die,” Ian said.

While Xander’s recovery journey wasn’t that hectic, Lucinda had lost her voice, had difficulty breathing, her body went into shock and she was hyperventilating. She was rushed to hospital twice, which she said were her weakest moments because she was gripped by fear.

“Don’t be afraid of the virus. That fear paralyses you and that elevates your symptoms. I could feel when fear gripped me and I wanted to go into a panic, the symptoms became worse,” Lucinda said.  

Even in her weakest moments, she was still concerned about her husband who spent his days in bed with her.

“It was difficult not being able to take care of my husband during this time. The past 11 years prepared us for dealing with this situation we are in now. To fight anything without a strong mind is difficult. Depression was the worst thing I’ve ever had to deal with, it was worse than Covid,” Lucinda said.

Ian said there were days when he missed sitting outside but understood that his wife couldn’t help him. They spent several days sleeping in separate beds and he said he missed her hugs and kisses. When they were able to share a bed again, he said he was happy to just be there for her, praying for her.   

Their church community delivered food to their house, and a congregant called them every day to check up on them and pray with them. The Bredells believes their faith in God helped them through this. Lucinda would repeat her favourite Bible scripture.  

“We learnt that it doesn’t matter what life deals you, you just have to be strong. And we believe a family that prays together, stays together. Giving up is not in our vocabulary and it was never an option for us,” Ian said.

* The Bredells' story is part of a series of Covid-19 survivor tales that will appear in the Sunday Times newspaper on July 19.