A Washington family of 7 contracts COVID-19 after their home was destroyed by a wildfire. Based on reports of "The Spokesman-Review," Matthew and Jessica Graham lost not only their house but also their barn in Malden, Washington, in a devastating wildfire that ravaged the west coast.
Meanwhile, the couple and their five children, Constantine, Claudia, twins Zoe and Adele, and Darius, all were infected with the coronavirus. The outlet reported that the Grahams started having flu-like symptoms a little while staying with a relative after the blaze.
Started having coughs
Matthew said that he started having coughs, which he initially thought was due to the heavy smoke. According to CBS affiliate KREM TV, Jessica said that they got the virus from her parents.
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Then they transferred the virus to Matthew's mother, who took care of the kids after the fire. Later on, she also tested positive with COVID-19. Matthew and Jessica suffered from partial loss of sense of taste and fatigue. Thankfully, the children only had milder symptoms.
The family isolated before their home got burned
Matthew explained that they were being good about isolating before their house got burned down. He said that they did not have much contact with other people, and they wore "masks and stuff" to avoid getting ill. He said that it is "totally miserable," and they do not want to catch the virus.
The Grahams said that they unknowingly infected another family when they had dinner with them. Jessica said that they felt horrible for spreading the virus to the family of nine after they welcomed them with open arms.
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Since then, the family stayed at a hotel in Spokane Valley to quarantine themselves. Matthew explained that they had not planned anything about finding a new home yet. He said that all they have are questions that lead to more questions.
Did not save anything
According to a GoFundMe page, the Grahams left their home on Labor Day. They were unaware that a wildfire would destroy their home. The page description wrote that it was too late to return home and collect things by the time they received the devastating news.
An update by the fundraiser said that the family heard that their dogs and chickens had survived the flames. However, the Grahams have to "completely start over" after being unable to save any of their belongings.
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Jessica told Q13 FOX that it is surreal because they feel like being in a bad dream. She said that they could not believe it had happened to them. Matthew noted that this is a year that they will look back into, and he knows that it has made them stronger.
They believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Matthew explained to the children that they should be grateful because there is still hope, and not everyone gets the chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
