One Step Closer to Seeing My Mom Again
This blog post is by Ari O’Donovan, Boost’s diversity program manager.
2021 has just started, and we’ve already witnessed something truly remarkable: the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccines have been given to healthcare professionals and priority groups. Why is this so important? To answer that question, we must recall the events of 2020 that are still fresh in our minds. Nationwide, we witnessed school and business closures, mask and extra hygiene requirements, social distancing, quarantine precautions, travel restrictions, and most importantly, thousands of deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us how fragile health can be. We witnessed how communities of color are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. We have had to adjust to a new way of life. Many of these changes will remain indefinitely.
On a personal level, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected me greatly. In August 2020, my mother was diagnosed with rapidly developing dementia. She was later admitted to a memory care center that could give her the level of continuous and holistic care that my family and I could not. I went from being able to visit her a few times a week to only seeing her virtually. In Oregon, memory care units and other assisted living facilities have been off-limits for public visitation. Because the residents are seniors or other extremely vulnerable members of the population, protecting them from COVID-19 has been a top priority.
I have found unique and creative ways to stay close to my mom throughout this pandemic. She is my best friend, and I will always be her keeper. However, it still pains me that I am unable to hold her and be close to her.
My mom is a native Oregonian, just like I am. She has witnessed many historical events, like the Vanport flood, the displacement of the Black community, and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. She has served the Black community by providing meals to the poor, volunteering with the Urban League of Portland, and advocating for equality. With her sister, she founded and operated the oldest Black beauty salon in Portland: Golden’s House of Style. It is a Portland landmark that has existed for nearly 50 years.
Late December 2020, my mom and I got some of the best news we could have hoped for: a COVID-19 vaccine had been approved, and she would receive it by the end of the month. When she told me about it, I was so happy that I burst into tears. We would be one step closer to seeing each other again. After she received her first dose of the vaccine, we met for our daily video chat. With absolute clarity of thought, my mom said, “I’ve never been so happy to get a vaccine. I hope you get it soon, too, so I can see my baby girl again.”
My mom has always been there for me. It is now my turn to be there for her. For my mom, for myself, and my family, and for Oregon communities everywhere, I can’t wait to be vaccinated.
