West Tennessee family stuck overseas due to COVID-19

JACKSON, Tenn. — COVID-19 has made it hard for one West Tennessee native and his family to get back to the states.

International travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have prevented many people from being able to leave or enter certain countries.

“We just really hope that sometime this week we get more information about flights and can get out of Saudi to get us back home,” basketball player Devon Chism said.

Chism, a South Side High School alum, plays professional basketball internationally. He says because of the pandemic, he hasn’t been able to get home to Tennessee from Saudi Arabia.

“It happened very quickly,” Chism said. “Our last game of the finals, we were on our way back home back to Medina from Jeddah, and by the time we reached back home everything had closed down. Airports closed down, and they put in a curfew.”

Chism’s wife and three children travel with him and they all are currently stuck in the country. He says it has been hard making sure the family with him, and back home, are staying safe.

“Knowing that your family is worried, and they are at risk of being sick,” Chism said. “And you can’t be there to even try to sooth them or comfort them that everything can be okay.”

Chism says he is positive they will be able to get home eventually, and he is glad his family is just safe and healthy.

“I believe that it will be over very soon,” said Chism. “I don’t think it’ll last that long. Especially when it gets hot, I hope it goes away!”

Chism says he and his agent from Virtue Sports Management have been trying to work with the Saudi embassy on the process of getting flights back home.

As of March 31, Saudi Arabia still has it’s borders closed off and all international passenger flights have been suspended indefinitely.