Unable to visit mom in hospice, metro man worries virus will keep them apart until its too late

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    KANSAS CITY, MO (WDAF) — The coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt our everyday lives, and for people with loved ones in hospice care, the uncertainty is especially hard.

Walter Davis said he would do anything to see his 65-year-old mother, Brenda Davis.

“I can’t even explain how traumatic it is,” he said.

Brenda suffered a brain injury six years ago. When Walter could no longer care for her at home, his family moved his mom into a nursing facility, where she’s also under hospice care.

“She’s on a feeding tube and just lying there in the bed,” he said.

Last week, Walter got a phone call from the facility telling him visitors were no longer be allowed — a restriction put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“I was like, ‘Well how long?’ They said, ‘We don’t have any time frame,’” he recalled.

Walter understands why the facility made the decision, but he’s frightened that there doesn’t appear to be an end to the pandemic now. The 30-year-old said the thought of never be able to see his mom alive again keeps him up at night.

“You know, they could call me at any given time and say, ‘Your mother has passed on,’” he said. “I would feel so guilty. I would feel guilty, and it’s not even my fault.”

For now, he’s leaning on his faith, something Brenda taught him.

“My mother is a strong believer in God, strong believer in God, and He has the final say so,” he said.

Walter said his mother was an amazing woman before her health took a turn for the worse. She was a social worker and raised 13 children, most of whom were in the foster care system.

His message to those whose loved ones are still here and able bodied: “Love them. Love your family while there here.”

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