Coronavirus IN: Hobart pastor under quarantine unable to visit hospitalized wife in critical condition

A Hobart pastor under quarantine is unable to visit his wife, who's hospitalized in critical condition after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Jeff Spencer hasn't been with his wife Darlene since the weekend. He had to leave her in the care of doctors trying to keep her alive.

Spencer is at home, holding virtual services on Facebook, asking for his congregation to join him in prayer. But it's not easy.

"I told her that I loved her, and that I would be with her. And I haven't been able to," Spencer said.

Pastor Jeff Spencer's last conversation with his wife Darlene was in the hospital.

"She responded that she loved me, and then they put her to sleep. And asked me to go ahead and go home," he said.

Darlene is critical, now in an induced coma, COVID-19 positive.

Jeff Spencer is on day five of a 14-day quarantine, home without the love of his life.

"I'm stuck here at home and she's laying in a hospital and not responsive and I don't get to be with her and that's the hardest part. And being able to sit there and pray with my wife and hold her hand," Spencer said.

He said he has no idea how Darlene got the virus. They went to the hospital on Saturday after she was ill all week. She had trouble breathing and blood oxygen levels were low.

"By Sunday, they had put her in an induced coma, sedated her, intubated her, put her on a breathing machine because she wasn't breathing on her own anymore," he said.

Because Darlene Spencer is a bus monitor and Jeff is a bus driver, School City of Hammond says it's notified any families of students who came in contact with them.

Spencer said he called his wife's cell phone Wednesday night and her caretakers put him on speaker phone so they could all pray together.

Viewers looking to send well-wishes or cards to the family can send them to:

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

3528 Saint Joseph Pl

Hobart, Indiana 46342