KITCHENER -- Laurie Few knew their time with her father Allan was short when he tested positive for COVID-19 last Sunday.
On Thursday, Allan passed away at Trinity Village Care Centre Kitchener.
“We cherished every moment of that time,” said Few. “I know a lot of people say this but I guess I really have to say my dad was my hero. I was one of the luckiest kids on the face of the earth.”
Few said the family said their goodbyes on Tuesday through a screen.
“It was a combination of really sad and lovely and terribly lonely,” she said.
Allan was the 14th resident at the facility to die from the virus.
An outbreak at Trinity Village was declared on April 14. On Friday, the Region of Waterloo said a health response team is now assisting there.
“We have regular contact with them,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo.
“We’ve gone in, done visits, toured the facility, and they’re implementing the measures that we are recommending.”
Few says that FaceTime was the only way to see her father over the last two months.
“You never imagine the last months with your dad – months then weeks, then days, and then ultimately this week it came down to hours – are going to be that way,” she said.
Few describes her dad as what some would call a “man’s man.”
“He rode a motorcycle, built things, and broke a couple fingers but would wrap it up with duct tape,” she said.
Allan was also inducted into the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan sports hall of fame for judo.
“He was just as gentle as he was strong,” said Few.
In 2016, Allan made his way from the Prairies to Kitchener to be closer to his family after suffering two strokes.
Few says her father was always there for her no matter what and she wanted to return to the favour.
“Just being there, that’s stolen,” she said. “This virus stole that from us.”
Few said that anyone who may be going through something similar should take full advantage of any chance they have to communicate.
