Blackwell HS Football Player Hospitalized With COVID-19

A high school varsity football player is in the hospital with COVID-19.

Levi Barnett, 16, was hospitalized Tuesday at OU Children’s Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 Saturday.

“He’s got the sweetest heart, he’s very loving, very gentle,” Heather Lynn Barnett, Levi’s mother said. “He’s pretty freaked out at the moment. (We are) just trying to keep him calm and explain things to him the best we know how.”

Family said Levi’s health deteriorated quickly. The entire family, who is unvaccinated, has had their run in with the virus.

“One day he’s good and then one day we have a backlash,” Barnett said. “I mean it (is) just one day at a time. It could be weeks; it could be months.”

Barnett said Levi, a person with high functioning autism, hasn’t eaten in several days.

In addition to testing positive for COVID-19, Barnett said Levi is also fighting double pneumonia, strep and the flu.

Family said finding an open hospital bed in the state was nearly impossible.

“Every hospital bed is full, there is none available anywhere,” Barnett said. “I took a leap of faith and drove my son down here to Children’s Hospital ER and they (saw) how bad he was, and they admitted him into the ICU.”

The Barnett family said they’ll be getting vaccinated after this and hope if you haven’t, you’ll at least reconsider.

“I was against it for a while there myself. I’ll be honest, I didn’t take it serious either,” Barnett said. “You just don’t take it serious until it hits home.”

Levi’s family said they’re going to continue to take one day at a time and pray for the best.