It’s been a tough time dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 for the Fry family of Crofton.
Wendy Carey of Crofton started a GoFundMe page Oct. 18 to help out the family. She’s known Pete Fry since he was five years old.
“He’s a nice guy right from a little kid,” Carey said.
They lost touch for many years like so many people do, but “I just kind of reconnected in the last few years,” she added.
The farm stand outside her home has always been a great way for Carey to maintain contacts with people and renew old acquaintances and that was the case with Pete Fry, who’s married to Brenda.
“Just generous people, they just give, give, give,” said Carey.
But COVID has turned the Fry family upside down. Initially, Brenda’s dad, who lives with them and is struggling with Alzheimer’s as well, and Pete contracted it and then Brenda.
“She got it and she didn’t get better,” said Carey.
Brenda just underwent a tracheotomy at Victoria’s Royal Jubilee Hospital where she has been on a ventilator fighting for her life. Doctors were worried about the damage to her vocal cords from the ventilator and decided to perform the surgery.
Carey talked to Pete Fry after the surgery. “He said she’s taking baby steps to getting better, but not out of the woods yet,” related Carey. “The surgery went well for a tracheotomy, but she’s not recovering well.”
Pete never spent time in hospital for COVID, but it did cause serious implications on his health.
“Even though he’s no longer positive, he’s still got some lingering issues,” noted Carey.
“He can’t work because of the emotional toll this has taken.”
As a truck driver, he needs to be 100 per cent alert and feeling strong to do his job properly.
The Frys were initially reluctant to receive support, but “I said, ‘Pete, it’s your turn,’” Carey indicated.
The Frys also had vaccine hesitancy, but the death of Josh Mellor in Duncan convinced them about the need for a safeguard against COVID-19. Unfortunately, they didn’t get their shots in time before contracting it.
As if Brenda going on a ventilator and dealing with a lung infection wasn’t enough, Pete’s youngest son Sammy was in a near fatal car accident and he was caring for him as well at home while he recovers. Pete has continually been driving to Victoria with Brenda’s dad to visit Brenda, as it seems to calm her and they see a difference in her oxygen levels and blood pressure when there, Carey pointed out.
“All this has created a hardship financially as travel costs and missed work are taking its toll,” she added. “This is a local family that has been a part of the valley forever. Please share what you can with these people to try to make it a bit easier on them at this trying time.”
To offer support, go to www.gofundme.com, type in Wendy Carey’s name in the search function and the page will come up. The campaign has raised $1,755 as of Wednesday morning toward a $10,000 goal.
Pete Fry is thankful for all the support and well-wishes from so many people.
