The COVID crisis has been in the forefront of 2020. As of this writing, nearly 24 million people around the globe have tested positive with the virus resulting in over 800,000 deaths. In South Carolina, over 100,000 people have tested positive for COVID resulting in over 2,500 deaths.
As concerning as numbers of cases can be, those numbers become that much more real when it happens to you. That was the experience of Bruins men's basketball senior Cam McKennedy this past summer.
McKennedy was on the Bruins basketball team this last season when the sports world came to a grinding halt. The team had just suffered a heartbreaking loss in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) DII South Region Championship on their home floor, falling to #2 Johnson University (FL). Within two weeks, the basketball season was effectively canceled and the country asked to isolate in their homes with the hopes of stopping the spread.
Like many others, McKennedy was heartbroken. His senior season had ended and gone with it was the normal process of saying goodbyes to teammates and coaches as Bob Jones University transitioned to virtual classes to close out the semester.
Still, McKennedy continued to work hard and completed his course work and even decided to come back for his fifth year of eligibility. He also will finish his degree in Elementary Education this year.
This summer, McKennedy was home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when he began to feel a little off. As the days went on, he began to feel worse and knew something was wrong.
"I started to get a fever and it was just out of nowhere," McKennedy said. "In my head, I was just hoping it wasn't COVID, then it got worse and worse."
He went to get tested and returned home to immediately quarantine himself while he waited for the results. It took almost a week before he heard the news: positive. The COVID crisis hit home and now McKennedy was forced to continue his quarantine as he battled the virus.
"It was a long process and it was hard because I had to be away from my family for a long time," McKennedy said. "I had to quarantine in my room and couldn't leave because I didn't want any of my family to get it."
Day in and day out, the routine was the same to try combat the effects of the virus while keeping it from spreading to others. McKennedy stayed in his room and tried to take different medications to treat his symptoms. Even after being cleared by doctors, McKennedy still struggled with the aftermath of what the virus did to his body.
"You think it is not going to happen to you," McKennedy said. "It was a tough process and one of the toughest parts is the recovery. I am used to being in shape and working out and I was getting short of breath and even something like walking up the street seemed like I was running a marathon. Being an athlete and being in shape and this took it out of me."
Since his diagnosis in July, McKennedy has seen continual progress and is making a full recovery. Dealing with the virus brought a new perspective for the Bruins guard and one he hopes will impact others.
"It helped me grow in my relationship with God in talking with Him and trusting Him that I would get through it," McKennedy said. "I am not glad I got COVID, but now I can help others by sharing what happened to me."
