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Friday, March 29, 2024

'Nobody suggested COVID-19'

Credit: 41 Action News
Duration: 02:03s 0 shares 1 views

'Nobody suggested COVID-19'
'Nobody suggested COVID-19'

A retired biology teacher and superintendent who dedicated his life to educating children was the first person to die in Johnson County due to the coronavirus.

"confirmed possible cases areexpected to tick upward at arapidpace in the next 10 daysTONIGHT WE ARELEARNING MORE ABOUTTHE MAN WHO BECAMEJOHNSON COUNTY'S FIRSTCORONAVIRUS DEATH.DENNIS WILSON WAS INHIS 70S WHEN HE DIEDSATURDAY... JUST FIVEDAYS AFTER TESTINGPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.ONLY ON 41 ACTION NEWS-- REPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD SAT DOWNWITH HIS WIDOW -- NOWON A MISSION TO CARRYON DENNIS' LEGACY.DENNIS WILSON COULDFILL A LUNCHROOM WITHSMILES IN A MATTER OFSECONDSJoanna Wilson/ WidowEducation was his life and hementored a lot of peopleA TEACHER, PRINCIPAL ANDSUPERINTENDENTWE SPOKE TO HIS WIFE,JOANNA, VIA FACETIMEWHO TELLS US DENNISWAS ALWAYS TEACHING,ALWAYS LEARNING ...EVEN READING ABOUT THECORONAVIRUS--WONDERING WHAT HECOULD DO TO HELPJoanna Wilson/ WidowWe talked about 'hey, we canhave some kids here...Wouldn't it be need if we tookin some kids and helped themwith their school work?'BEFORE DENNIS COULDACT, HE BECAME SICKIT STARTED WITH THECHILLS, BODY ACHES ANDTHEN A LOSS OF APPETITIEHE WENT TO TWO URGENTCARE CENTERS, WHERESHE SAYS HE WAS SENTHOME AND TOLD TO RESTJoanna Wilson/ WidowNobody suggested theCOVID-19 because he wasn'trunning a fever and we hadn'tdone any traveling.LAST MONDAY DENNISBEGAN TO EXPERIENCINGSHORTNESS OF BREATHAND HE WAS ADMITTED TOTHE HOSPITAL, WHERE HETESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19JOANNA COULDN'T SEE HIMFOR DAYSJoanna Wilson/ WidowThe fear he must have had.And I couldn't be with him wasalmost intolerableSO SHE WENT ONFACEBOOK, POSTING DAILYUPDATESWHICH EVENTUALLY GOTHER TO HIS BEDISDE,WHERE SHE'S BEEN FORNEARLY 50 YEARSJUNE WOULD HAVE BEENTHEIR ANNIVERSARYJoanna Wilson/ WidowWe never in our wildestdreams thought we wouldn'tget there.

And the same forhimNOW HER GIFT TO DENNISIS TO SHARE WITH THEWORLD WHO THE MAN SHELOVED WAS.INCLUDING HIS MAGIC...AND HIS PASSION FOREDUCATING AND HELPINGOTHERSJoanna Wilson/ WidowHis legacy, I want it to bemore than the fact that he's astatisticREPORTING IN KANSASCITY.

ARIEL ROTHFIELD.

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