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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

Daughter believes mother contracted deadly Coronavirus in The Villages

Carol Lynch

The daughter of a Villager who has died of the Coronavirus believes her mother contracted the fatal virus here in The Villages.

Carol Lynch, 84, of the Village of Winifred, died Thursday night at UF Health The Villages Hospital. Two of her daughters listened by phone from the Boston area as their mother’s monitor beeped for the final time.

Shannon Lynch of Cohasset, Mass. said her mother, who has lived in The Villages for 15 years, had not been traveling prior to her illness.

“She did everything in The Villages,” she said.

She believes her mother picked up COVID-19 through “community spread” somewhere in The Villages.

Carol Lynch, center, with her daughters.

She said her mother gets a case of bronchitis “every year” and her mother initially dismissed her cough as another case of bronchitis. Shannon Lynch said her mother stayed close to home and at the home of a close friend, with only the occasional trips to the grocery store or the library.

By March 23 and 24, Carol Lynch’s “bronchitis” worsened.

“She sounded bad,” Shannon Lynch said.

Carol Lynch attempted to get tested for COVID-19 during the massive testing at The Villages Polo Fields, but it filled up too fast.

By March 27, Carol Lynch felt well enough to head into the kitchen and the East Boston native reportedly cooked up quite a feast. But by the next morning, she had a fever and was disoriented. She was transported by ambulance to the hospital in The Villages. There she was tested and diagnosed with Coronavirus.

Carol Lynch, the tiny lady famed for her zest for life and enthusiasm for singing, at times could not talk. Daughter Kellie was able to travel to The Villages for an “end of life” visit with her mother, but that visit never came to fruition. She coordinated visits by conference call with her sisters.

“It all happened so fast,” said Shannon Lynch, the youngest of the daughters.

She said not being there for their mother’s passing really stung.

“We are used to being there when someone dies,” she said

They lost their father in 1999 and a sister in 1985.

Shannon Lynch said she hopes her mother’s death will serve as a wakeup call for Villagers.

She said what is happening in the northeast section of the country will soon begin happening in The Villages.

“Your hospital will be full,” she warned.

She urged Villagers to stay home and observe warnings about social distancing.

“Don’t go out,” she said. “If you have to go out, wear a mask and a gloves.”

Carol Lynch was a member of New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages. In addition to her daughters, she leaves behind eight grandchildren.

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