WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — For months, Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms has encouraged people to wear masks and wash their hands to stop the spread of the virus, but just three weeks ago, the pandemic hit home.
His wife, Jane, was hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Mayor Toms says it started with the usual symptoms, but as they persisted, he knew it was time to go to the ER.
"She did have a fever, she had a real bad headache, and then her muscles and joints were aching real bad," he says.
Jane went to get tested, and sure enough, she had COVID-19. Five days passed and she wasn't getting better.
"Her temperature stayed up, and that was concerning," Toms said.
That's when they found out she had pneumonia, too, so Toms took her to the Houston Medical Center.
"What we did was we called my pastor, Jerry Walls, who prayed for us on the way to the hospital, and then when I got closer to the hospital, what I said was, 'You know, I think you're gonna be OK," he says.
He says having to drop her off and leave her there was heartbreaking.
"I didn't go straight home. I went straight to a parking space and just cried and prayed because -- not just for us either, but people who are dropping people off and the worst happens."
He says she doesn't have any underlying health issues, so he was convinced she would be OK.
"It was a bit of a struggle, but she had a couple of days where she was pretty sick. To say that it was just a walk in the park wouldn’t be accurate."
After being on oxygen, getting treatment and FaceTiming her family, Jane got to go home five days later.
"I know what the scripture says about not fearing, but I also know Psalms 56:3 says, 'When I am afraid, I will trust in you,' and so we leaned on that verse and we leaned on our trust in God," says Mayor Toms.
He says they think he had the virus the week before and passed it on to her, but he didn't get tested at the time.
However, they don't know where he might've gotten it.
He says he has known this virus is serious from the start, but this made him see that anyone can get it, even his wife of 38 years.
"It makes it more real and it just gives you that desire to let other people know to take every step you can possibly take to protect yourself and protect others."
Both he and Jane urge those who have had COVID-19 to give blood.
"Go give the platelets and see if you can help somebody else get through this, because, for her, when she first got on the medication in the hospital, they had that ready for her," says Mayor Toms.
He posted on Facebook when Jane initially went to the hospital and he says now, he wants to thank everyone that reached out and prayed for their family.