Jackson family speaks out after surviving coronavirus

JACKSON, Tenn. — “I got the call that she tested positive, and I was like ‘Uh Oh,'” said COVID-19 survivor Jonathon Neely.

Jonathon Neely says his 52-year-old mother, Linda Neely contracted the virus in late March.

“They went on treating me for the flu,” she said.

“Chills. I have a fever when I went to Convenient Care, but I was hot. I was telling my husband for a couple days that I need air,” Linda Neely said.

Finally, after getting a call she knew it was the virus making her sick.

“I had received a call that following Thursday, from the health department, saying that somebody said they had came in contact,” Linda Neely said.

That same day, coronavirus testing was being offered at the Jackson Fairgrounds. After getting tested, a few days later they told her she had the virus.

Her husband then went to get tested and received positive results on April Fools’ Day.

“But then that’s when they told me I got it. My heart sunk. I was sitting at the piano playing,” said Frank Neely, Linda’s husband and coronavirus survivor.

“That wasn’t funny,” said Frank Neely said. “That man said you tested positive. I stopped playing for a minute. I just sat there.”

Jonathan Neely says he started to feel different after being around them.

“The only thing that I had, was I couldn’t smell and I couldn’t taste,” he said.

Eight days later, Jonathan Neely began to feel more symptoms.

“All of a sudden I just felt weird out of nowhere,” he said.

The Neely’s say they were scared from what they were hearing on the news.

“Every time you turn on the T.V., it’s just death, death, death, death, thousands, hundreds are dying,” Frank Neely said.

“When they called me, my heart just dropped. I just sat there on the phone,” Jonathon Neely said.

Jonathan Neelys says his wife made sure to give him warm fluids.

“And she also did this steam, with boiling water with orange peels and onions, and that really made me feel a whole lot better,” he said.

Support from friends and family helped also.

“They really kept praying for us and were encouraging us,” Linda Neely said.

“When I said I tested positive, and I said I was going to beat this thing. When I made that post, I said do not get it twisted, the blood still works,” Jonathon Neely said.

“Staying at home, that was the best thing for us and staying secluded like we did,” Linda Neely said. “So that helped us to recover as much as we did.”

“But it’s only by the grace of God that I’m still here, and my family, my mom, my dad are still here,” Jonathon Neely said.

Since being in quarantine for almost a month, the Neely’s are advising everyone to take the coronavirus seriously and stay safe.