PEABODY — It may have been four long months in the making but Saturday’s rolling parade welcoming 81-year-old Olive “Grammy” Burkinshaw back home from the hospital was well worth the wait.
On Feb. 21, Burkinshaw’s husband of 60 years, Kenneth, contracted COVID-19 and was taken to Beverly Hospital. Four days later, Olive was diagnosed with the virus and also landed at Beverly.
While Kenneth was discharged a short time thereafter, Olive ended up in the ICU on a ventilator. She would not see her Fairview Avenue home until June 18, 114 days after being admitted.
“I feel excellent and am so thrilled to be home and see so many people,” Olive said, surrounded by a large group of family and friends. “I thought it was one of those birthday parties for kids, so, was I surprised? I’ll say. I was going to stay in my housecoat and slippers today, so I am so glad they made me get dressed.”
At the start of the family’s long journey, Olive and Ken initially were on the same floor at Beverly Hospital. With residents confined to their rooms and a no-visitors policy, Ken decided enough was enough.
“It had been quite a while since I had seen her, so I ripped out the IV and oxygen tubes and went looking for her,” Ken said. “The nurses tried to throw me out, but I wouldn’t go. I just wanted to sit on her bed with her.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t last long.
“Security came and they threw him out,” said daughters Linda Kiricoples and Jean Kelley, simultaneously, laughing.
“It was worth it,” Ken said.
All told, Olive was on and off ventilators three times. Doctors decided to transfer her to Vibra Hospital in New Bedford, which has a respiratory acute-care unit that specializes in weaning patients off ventilators.
“We had been told that only 15 percent of people with COVID come off ventilators successfully,” said daughter Karen Fuls. “Vibra had a 98 percent rate. We didn’t care that it was a 90-minute drive.”
After shedding the ventilator, Olive returned to Peabody where she checked into Rosewood Rehabilitation Center. She was discharged Friday.
Several members of the girls lacrosse team took part in the parade to show their support.
“She’s our team mascot and best fan,” granddaughter Amber Kiricoples said. “She’s our ‘Team Grammy.'”
The caravan, complete with police and fire escorts, began in the St. Ann’s Church parking lot where Amber and her sister Olivia helped parade participants put the final decorating touches on their vehicles. Olive’s cousin Stanley Abraham, and his wife Carol, made the trek down from Maine.
“She taught me how to swim a hundred years ago,” said Stanley.
“Olive is such a beautiful person and so loved, that’s what matters the most,” said Carol. “I believe in the power of love and I truly believe that’s what made this all possible. This is just such a wonderful day.”
City Councilor-at-Large Jon Turco helped organize the event. He said he was relatively unknown in 2015 when he first ran for Ward 1 councilor – that is, until Olive took charge.
“We walked every street in the Brown Pond area and she not only knocked on doors with me, she demanded that residents vote for me. It changed the election for me and I owe it all to her.
Fire Captain Chris Dowling said he wanted to show his support not only for Olive, but Ken, a retired firefighter with 33 years of service.
“I’ve always looked up to Kenny,” Dowling said. “This whole neighborhood is loaded with firefighters. We talk about Peabody pride, but what we have here is South-side pride.”
“This is a happy day for Lake Shore Park,” Turco said. “We’ve been praying every day for four months. Olive has always been so dear to me and you can see by everyone turning out the way they did today, tells me this family is special to a lot of people.”
For Ken, the best part of the ordeal was hearing Olive’s voice again.
“She had to learn to walk, to talk, basically she had to learn to do everything again,” Ken said. “The people at Rosewood and Vibra were wonderful. It was incredible to finally hear her voice again.”
“You know most husbands would be happy if their wives couldn’t talk,” Olive joked. “But that’s not Ken. He’s the love of my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better day than this being together with my family again.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
