His nurses in Floyd Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit couldn't have known it, but Horace McGhee loved birthdays and birthday cake. Unfortunately, a COVID-19 diagnosis meant he would be spending his 80th birthday in the hospital with no visitors allowed.
Mr. McGhee's family was shocked when he tested positive for the coronavirus in early March. He hadn't traveled outside the country. He and his wife seldom left their home. No one in their family had a known connection to a COVID-19 patient. Now, the family patriarch was quarantined, separated from his friends and family.
The realization that he would spend this milestone birthday alone made the distance even more difficult. Because of his diabetes, Mr. McGhee would beg forgiveness from his doctor and indulgence from his family at birthday celebrations, promising he'd eat sensibly and watch his insulin levels if they'd let him have a slice of cake. And, he wasn't picky about what kind of cake it was, whether a fancy confection, a sweet cupcake or supermarket sheet cake. For his own birthday, his family had a tradition of taking him out to dinner, always ordering a slice of cake.