First responder family sidelined by COVID-19
By Russell Kinsaul
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ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — Serving to make the community a safer place is the norm in the Hendel household.
Sean Hendel has worked as a police officer for nine years and is a K-9 officer at a police department in St. Louis County. Jessica Hendel is a 911 operator for an agency in St. Charles County. Neither has been able to work lately because Sean and their 6-month old named Carson tested positive for COVID-19. Sean was released from the hospital Sunday night.
“I still feel like 10 tons of crap, but it’s a lot better than what it was,” said Sean Hendel.
He said he tested positive nearly two weeks ago and it became so difficult to breath that he was admitted to a hospital two days later. Sean spent 10 days in the hospital and had scaring on his lungs when he was discharged because of pneumonia and blood clots.
“It almost, you know, put me in the ground,” he said.
Jessica Hendel said life got more complicated when the youngest of their four children, Carson, tested positive also.
“Things kept piling up on each other. Once we found out he was positive it really didn’t help, cause we were freaking out,” she said.
According to the Hendels, Carson’s symptoms have been mild. Jessica never tested positive but will end up missing nearly a month of work because of the quarantine time for Sean and then for Carson.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help this first responder family that can’t work right now and is facing large medical bills.
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