NORFOLK, Va. - A 34-year-old woman said she was in the hospital for days and was worried she would die. When she finally got home, she posted a plea on the app Nextdoor for food, and her Norfolk community came to her aid.
After nine days at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Shay Reilly said she’s glad she is alive.
“I broke down and asked the doctor, 'Am I going to get out of this hospital?’ In my heart, I didn’t think I was going to survive,” said Reilly.
With a fever of almost 104, coughing, body aches and problems with her asthma, Reilly said it was a surreal experience.
“It was really scary just being alone,” said Reilly.
She praised the medical staff at Sentara, who she said got her through her time in the hospital.
“They made you feel like you were the only one that they were taking care of,” said Reilly.
Reilly is now waiting for her coronavirus test results to come back and is at home in quarantine. She said her first test came back negative, but said the doctors told her she likely had the coronavirus.
Friday morning, she created a post asking for food on the community app Nextdoor.
“I didn’t want to, but I can’t leave the house and I did need some food and I just reached out to the community. I told them what I was going through,” said Reilly.
The response was immediate and overwhelming.
A woman who didn’t want to be identified dropped off several bags of food, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and more. She told News 3 that the community needs to take care of each other during this difficult time.
Several others dropped off food and other items as the day went on.
“I don’t even know these people. That’s even more amazing, and that keeps my spirits up even more. I’m so happy to be home,” said Reilly. “It was an experience I’ve never ever had and hope to never have again.”
