>>TOM WILLS: BACK AT WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BECOMING ILL WITH COVID-19 OUR COLLEAGUE
AND FRIEND NEWS 4 JAX ANCHOR AND REPORTER VIC MICOLUCCI HE’S JUST TESTED NEGATIVE FOR
THE CORONAVIRUS AND HAS BEEN
CLEARED TO CAREFULLY RESUME HIS
NORMAL ACTIVITIES.
FIX JOINING US FROM THE
NEWSROOM, WELCOME BACK VIC.
>> IT’S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU
YOU’VE BEEN AT WORK SINCE THIS
MORNING SO HOW ARE YOU
HOLDING UP.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH TOM AND
MARY YOU ALL AND THE REST OF
OUR TEAM HAVE BEEN SO GREAT AS
WELL AS EVERYBODY AT HOME JUST
AMAZING THROUGH
THIS PROCESS. I’M HAPPY TO BE
BACK IT’S BEEN A LONG DAY IT’S
BEEN A
BUSY ONE. BUT IT’S EXACTLY HOW
I WANTED IT TO BE I WANTED TO
BE SERVING THE COMMUNITY BY
BRINGING THE NEWS AND WE’VE
BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT
FEELING BETTER. I’M NOT A 100%
AS FAR AS MY ENERGY, I’M STILL
FATIGUED I’M STILL FEELING A
LITTLE SLUGGISH NOT A 100%
MYSELF YET. BUT THE DOCTOR SAYS
THAT’S GOING TO COME IN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS ARE
CERTAINLY DOING THAT
AND I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE
THIS IS NOT MY STORY, IT’S SO
MANY PEOPLE STORIES
YOU HAVE 4 AND A HALF MILLION
AMERICANS RIGHT NOW WITH
CORONAVIRUS OR HAVING RECENTLY
HAD COVID-19
AND I’M JUST PRIVILEGED TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE A PLATFORM TO BE A
VOICE FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK RIGHT
NOW OR ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
THEIR LOVED ONES.
>>TOM WILLS: SO MANY OF OUR
VIEWERS VICTIM IN FOLLOWING
YOUR STRUGGLE SINCE YOU FIRST
FILLED UP TO SHARING IT WITH
ALL OF US AND HOPE YOUR
EXPERIENCE WOULD BE HELPFUL
FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU’VE
RECEIVED HAS ONE STORY,
ESPECIALLY STOOD OUT
TO YOU.
>> YOU KNOW I THINK TOM THE
WORST PART ABOUT
THIS VIRUS IS NOT THE SYMPTOMS,
IT’S THE LONELINESS YOU HAVE TO
LOCK YOURSELF AWAY. FOR
2 WEEKS AND YOU FEEL
ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE. BUT
THERE’S NOBODY THAT CAN COME IN
AND HELP YOU
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
THEM POSSIBLY GETTING
SICK SO SO MANY STORIES STUCK
OUT, YOU KNOW THERE WAS A YOUNG
MOTHER AND SHE SAID THAT HER
SON HAS SPECIAL NEEDS
BOTH OF THEM GOT THE
CORONAVIRUS SHORTLY
AFTER ME. THEY WERE WORRIED
ABOUT THE STIGMA. THEY WERE
WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WAS NEXT.
I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM
THROUGH ALL HOURS OF THE DAY
AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY
WERE OK THEY CHECKED UP ON ME
BECAUSE THEY WERE SO KIND AND
COURTEOUS SEEING SOMETHING LIKE
THAT AND THEN I ALSO GOT
E-MAILS FROM PEOPLE THAT SAID
YOU KNOW WHAT
I DID NOT BELIEVE IN THIS
VIRUS, I WASN’T CAREFUL.
I DIDN’T KEEP MY DISTANCE, I
DIDN’T WEAR MY MASK, YOU’RE THE
FIRST PERSON THAT I FEEL LIKE I
KNOW THAT ACTUALLY HAS IT
AND NOW I FEEL LIKE IT’S REAL
I’M GOING TO STEP BACK I’M
GOING TO BE MORE CAREFUL I’M
GOING TO BE MORE CONSIDERATE OF
OTHERS, THE PERFECT PERSON TO
SHARE THAT NOVAK OF ANY OF YOU
WHO REALLY NOVAK, IT’S NO
SURPRISE.
>> UP OTHER THAN YOUR NEW
BEARD, WHICH LOOKS GREAT.
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH ARE
STILL GOING THROUGH DO YOU
THINK HAS IT
CHANGED YOU.
>> WELL MARY I GOT TO SAY THE
FACIAL HAIR IS IS GROWING GOT
TO PUT MY SON IN THEIR THIS
SITE HAS. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY
CHANGE THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE
AND I HAVE HOPEFULLY LEARN TO
BE MORE COMPASSIONATE AND
FOLLOW UP ON OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, I’M SOMEONE THAT WAS
SO FORTUNATE
TO HAVE FRIENDS LIKE YOU
CHECKING UP ON ME
TO HAVE COLLEAGUES TO HAVE ALL
OF OUR WONDERFUL
VIEWERS FAMILY. SO MANY CLOSE
RELATIONSHIPS, I’VE BUILT OVER
THE YEARS. I KNOW THERE’S A LOT
OF PEOPLE INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS LIVING IN
FEAR, NOT SURE WHAT’S NEXT
AND THEY DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO
THE RESOURCES TO THE PEOPLE
THAT CAN DELIVER THE GROCERIES
TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN JUST
GIVE THEM A CALL AND SAY HEY
ARE YOU OK, I’M HERE FOR YOU
WE’RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER SO CERTAINLY
MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF
THEM AS WELL AS THE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS. I AM CHANGE NOW IN
THAT I’M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE
BIT MORE TIME TO ACTUALLY
LISTEN TO PEOPLE TO PUT MYSELF
IN THEIR SHOES. AND
HOPEFULLY HELP THEM OUT THROUGH
THAT VERY DIFFICULT
PROCESS AND I’VE HAD HUNDREDS
100’S OF PEOPLE REACH OUT
AND IT’S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH
EVERYBODY BUT IF YOU’RE IN
TROUBLE, YOU KNOW REACH OUT AND
WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO FIND SOME
WAY TO HELP YOU OUT DURING
THESE
TOUGH TIMES. THANK YOU FOR
HELPING US THINK OF THOSE LESS
FORTUNATE.
>> AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING
YOUR
STORY AND BY ALL MEANS WELCOME