“My son, Bates, was only 7 years old. He started coughing up blood uncontrollably – over and over. It wouldn’t stop. I remember the horrific scene of him leaning over the sink. Earlier that day, I’d been frustrated with him for not remembering to put something away. In this moment, I realized how trivial it seemed.”
‘My daughters rushed across the hall. ‘Mommy, Bates is spitting up blood. You need to come.’ One of his arteries had opened in his throat.’: Mom urges ‘don’t take your children for granted’
‘We received our test results: positive. I’d done so much to avoid being infected. But there I was, staring at the inevitable rear its ugly head.’: Family recovering from COVID-19 urges ‘love hard, tomorrow is not promised’
“What we experienced is considered ‘mild.’ But believe me, by no means necessary, did it feel anything near mild. I prayed my kids would not get sick. One by one, they each started to have a low-grade fever.”
‘You will want to remember how it felt to wake up and ask, ‘What did I do yesterday? Did I shower? Did it rain?’: Woman says ‘remember these strange days when the horror wears off’
“I want you to remember this, because years from now, a lifetime from now, when we’re leaving somewhere, saying goodbye, when I’m hugging you tight and tighter still, and we both laugh, and yet I don’t let go—you will know why.”
‘How did this happen?’ I was compliant. I self quarantined early out of precaution. I thought I followed the rules.’: Woman tests positive for coronavirus, ‘I don’t wish this illness onto anyone’
“You might think you’re being safe, but I thought that too. Someone I came in contact with wasn’t. That’s why I’m sick. Someone didn’t wash their hands or cover their mouth. They didn’t avoid public places. They carried on like normal.”
‘This virus will spread and turn awful.’ I didn’t want him to see me cry. He pulled me to him. I covered his shirt with tears.’: Covid-19 forces college student to leave school, boyfriend, ‘The two things I craved most were taken from me’
“We both confessed our love for each other. It was so cute. Every time I think about it, it just makes me happy. Then, boom! Coronavirus shows up and changes everything. I felt as though I had started loving someone for no reason. I was emotionally drained. It hurts me daily.”
‘I called my mom hysterically crying, ‘I don’t want to cross the border alone. It’s too dangerous!’ Everyone was silent.’: Young woman takes risk leaving US during pandemic, ‘I’ve never wanted to be home so badly’
“The news was showing tons of people who were stuck in different countries because of the border closing. ‘Will I be stuck in Mexico? I’m a United States citizen, they can’t tell me no, right?’ I was so nervous! I didn’t want it to be me.”
‘If I’m forced to self-isolate a majority of the time, you can for a few months!’: Young woman with chronic illness begs for social distancing, ‘Maybe we will become better humans when it’s over’
“To those saying, ‘it’s just a virus,’ you may be able to fight it off with no issues if you were to contract it. But guess what? It’s not just about you! It’s about everyone.”
‘His ribs were poking through. He was struggling to breathe. ‘We cannot test him. He doesn’t meet the criteria.’: Health care provider urges ‘stop the birthday parties, stop the play dates’ as son battles for his life
“This is the face of a health care provider and mother who is not allowed to be with her baby in the ER because she herself is extremely ill, hacking, weak, and with fever and could potentially infect others. This is the face of your fellow human being BEGGING YOU to stop the birthday parties, stop the play dates, STOP THE TRAVEL!”
‘I found a handwritten note in our mailbox that said, ‘Please tell me anything you need, and I will pick it up for you.’ I heaved a sigh of relief.’: Woman says ‘the angels among us reassured me the world is still a good place to be’
“I was trying to stock up on supplies because my husband and I fit many of the categories for this virus to be life-threatening: over 65–check, diabetes—check, lung issues—check, immune compromised—check. Our doctor told us, ‘You need to prepare to be home for 2 months.’ In the midst of all the anxieties and panic shopping, I learned a great deal about kindness.”
‘Can I help you?’ I stopped at the door. ‘Actually, I wanted to offer MY help. Would you like me to watch your child while you catch up on work?’: Woman shares amazing act of kindness for struggling working mom, ‘A little love goes a long way’
“Tonight I walked into the tanning salon. The employee seemed very annoyed and not welcoming. At first I thought, ‘Well, someone’s not in a good mood.’ Then I looked down to see a sick baby sitting in his car seat beside her. She’d run out of sick days. As I lay in the tanning bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about the overwhelmed look on her face.”
