CLEARWATER, Fla. — While facing the early stages of a deadly pandemic in March 2020, Charles Fox celebrated the birth of his first granddaughter, Everly, from an RV parked across the street from All Children’s Hospital.

Spectrum Bay News 9’s Trevor Pettiford caught up with Fox, still in that RV, who said he has been reflecting on how both celebrations of his granddaughters’ births were exciting, but bittersweet.

“I know when I pull the RV up and I put those signs up and put the chairs out, there was that bit of a connection," he said. "But boy did I just long to wanna hold her."

It was a while before he could do that, which he says makes not being there for his grandchildren's births even more significant.

Fox said in all the time he imagined becomeing a grandfather, he didn't think it would ever happen during something like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She’s my pride and joy, OK, so dad’s always there every step of the way, you know, from walking on her toes to giving her away in marriage," he said. "And you definitely wanna be there for her first-born child, so yeah, I got robbed.”

Proponents of Florida’s new “No Patient Left Alone" Act say it was created to make sure no family has to miss those deeply personal moments — be it a joyous moment of birth or solemn moment of a death.

Fox said he knows firsthand how family can be the best medicine in the world for an ailing loved one.

“I went every day to the nursing home — everyday, dad changing his diapers, helping him out bathing him every day, I was there," Fox said. "And he just got better and better and better and better. Three more years he got out of life — it’s the connection, there’s no doubt you’ve got to have that connection.”