COVID-19 has separated families over the past 12 months, since younger family members have been advised to stay away from their elderly relatives in order to protect them.
People over 65, especially those who have health issues, are most vulnerable and likely to get really sick from this virus. For this reason, many of them have decided to stay at home until they get vaccinated.
And, finally, the vaccines are here and they are saving lives! Both physically and psychologically.
For grandmas and grandpas, not being able to see their grandchildren has been the hardest aspect of this pandemic. They used to visit them, chat with them, hug them, and play with them, and these last few months they have been feeling more lonely than ever.
The lucky ones that have gotten vaccinated though, have started to return to their normal lives little by little.
Just like a Pennsylvania grandma, who got to see her 3-year-old grandson, Trax, a few days ago, after 15 months apart.
Posted by Kelsey Chvala on Thursday, December 17, 2020
Jean Chvala of Pittsburg, Pa, used to visit her grandson often and they would always spend quality time together. However, after Christmas 2019, everything changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and 76-year-old Jean knew that she had to be extra careful if she wanted to stay healthy. Unfortunately, this meant that she couldn’t even see her son and his family.
Thankfully, technology has helped families to remain in touch, even if only virtually. Grandma Jean never missed a chance of seeing Trax on her phone.
“It’s hard. It was hard. I FaceTimed him and got to talk to him through video chat, but it was hard not being with him,” she said.
However, a chat over a video-call is not the same as seeing each other in person. And, certainly, a whole year of not hugging their grandchildren has taken a toll on the sweet grandmas and grandpas out there.
Posted by Kelsey Chvala on Tuesday, December 29, 2020
And then, eventually, Jean was vaccinated so it was safe to see her family again. After she got the second dose, they arranged to meet at the park and she couldn’t wait for this reunion!
“She was all, ‘that would be great!’ And I said, ‘he’s going to flip out when he sees you,’ and sure enough he did,” Kelsey, Jean’s daughter in law, said in an interview with abc7.
Indeed, when the three of them met at the park, Trax couldn’t believe it- it was really grandma there waiting for a big hug!
So, he ran to her and hugged her very tight!
“I gave her a big hug,” Trax said.
Kelsey recorded the reunion on her phone, and she posted it on social media.
“I cry every time I see it, I do,” Jean said of the video.
And it’s not only her, it’s us and practically everyone who has watched the heartwarming reunion. One just cannot remain unaffected by the emotional moment.
The sweet reunion is a reminder that, sooner or later, we will all be able to see and hug our loved ones, that life will be normal again. We just need to wait a little and get vaccinated.
Make sure you head over to the video to see for yourself how happy Nana and Trex were when they saw each other again.
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