Storyteller: Emma Smith
In mid February, Susan had taken her daughters on a girl’s trip to the island of Aruba. 61-year-old Susan works as registered nurse in a prison, where she responds to emergencies and passes medications to inmates. During the week and a half long vacation the news had started to cover more about Covid 19, and how it was beginning to spread rapidly. Before the trip, the virus had not spread worldwide, but once she had returned home with her family schools began to shut down, as well as unessential businesses not long after.
The beginning of Covid 19 meant the end of her daughters’ senior year, and not being able to watch her go to prom for the last time, or graduate with her class. There were new policies in place at her work making thing more difficult for everyone, to try and keep people from getting sick. People began hoarding toilet paper and her family struggled to find any for weeks at a time.
Susan had begun to feel sick one day after work, and she soon tested positive for Covid 19. This was now her son’s senior year and children could go to school again, but were told to social distance, and most classes were online. Susan was incredibly scared that she would potentially get someone in her family sick that she could barely eat. For her the virus started out like any cold, but it shortly turned to high fevers daily. After testing negative 15 days later she was able to go to her sons last football game, the day after this football game schools began to shut down again due to a rise in cases.
Although Covid 19 was not pleasant to anyone, Susan appreciated the extra time she got to spend with her kids. She learned to appreciate what she has in life, because things can change in the blink of an eye.
MIPandemicStory 