The CCP virus has tested the strength and faith of many families in the United States, but one Ohio family has stayed and prayed together even as every single member has been infected.
A photo of 4-year-old Owen, praying for his grandfather Chuck in the hospital, has come to symbolize the family’s resolve to beat the pandemic. Now that the whole family has recovered from the virus, with the exception of Chuck, who is improving but hospitalized, they are counting their blessings.
The iconic picture shows young Owen taking a moment from playing with his toy trucks to bow his head and close his eyes and pray for his sick grandfather.
People who saw the young boy’s faith were moved by the image in a time of crisis. As one commenter wrote, “What a sweet little boy!! It gives me hope for a better world just seeing him pray!”
Another said: “What a wonderful update!!!! YOU are bringing up your children the right way!!!! To have your youngest pray like this on his own speaks volumes...”
Five members of the Hanes family tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, though they aren’t sure about where they contracted it to begin with.
Bob Paulus, Owen’s uncle, is a first responder, and his wife, Diane, is a nurse anesthetist. They were coming into contact with lots of different people. Grandparents Chuck and Nancy Paulus are very active in their church and might have been infected there. Regardless, by the end of March 2020, the whole family was sick.
“Every one of us, out of all four of us—our chief complaint was something different,” Bob told the news station. “We were able to interconnect that I had something similar with my mom or my wife had something similar with my dad, but at the time, we weren’t able to connect all the dots.”
While grandmother Nancy Paulus and her son Bob were able to beat the virus thanks to some extra oxygen, antibiotics, and hydroxychloroquine, grandfather Chuck fell into a coma and had kidney failure, requiring dialysis treatment. Though he has shown considerable improvement, Chuck will remain hospitalized until fully recovered.
Daughter Brandee told the outlet that nurses were using her dad’s love of the Ohio State football team to make sure he was alright.
“[W]e have told the nurses, that if they yell OH, my dad will reply IO if he can,” Brandee said. “So, that’s another way that dad knows we are in contact with the nurses and staffing, because how else would they know to say that?”
Through Brandee’s daily updates on the family’s progress on Facebook and the family’s interviews with news stations, they are conveying a message of positivity and hope.
“Just know that you’re loved and supported because we have been there and just know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Brandee said to all the families battling with the pandemic, reported WTOL.
In the meantime, Brandee and her family are leaning on their faith and hoping that Chuck will be able to come home soon.
