'Always The Life Of The Party': UK Man Among First To Get COVID Vaccine Has Mass. Relatives
FALMOUTH (CBS) - When Britain started inoculating its citizens against COVID-19, one of the first to get the shot was 91-year-old Martin Kenyon, who saw on the London news his local hospital was doing it.
"It didn't hurt at all," Kenyon said in an interview with CNN that went viral. "I didn't know the needle had gone in until it had come out."
As it turns out, Kenyon has family on Cape Cod. He's the cousin of State Rep. Dylan Fernandes' grandmother.
"He's always the life of the party, has a ton of energy," Fernandes said. "The last time I saw him was about five years ago he gave away my aunt at a family wedding."
He's 91, but the twinkle in his eyes tell of a life well lived. He was a diplomat, and counts Desmond Tutu of South Africa as one of his friends.
"He grew up, as my grandmother did, in World War II-era England," Fernandes said. "My grandmother is the same way, if you're hit with adversity you keep calm and carry on."
Fernandes is a third term state rep from Falmouth and chuckled when he heard 91-year-old Martin explain why he got the vaccine.
"I don't intend to have it. There is no point in dying now when I have lived this long is there," Kenyon said. "I don't plan to anyway."