Woman's emotional post shows mom with COVID-19 meeting grandchild through glass
A woman's powerful post about her mother meeting her newborn through a glass door is resonating with parents who've experienced the same moment amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The touching photograph has garnered thousands of likes on Instagram.
"My mom is a great grandma, loves her grandkids a lot," said Jessica, a mother of two who declined to give her surname for professional reasons. "She's [my] No. 1 support system."
"I really debated sharing it because it's a super personal moment," she added. "I've gotten so many messages from people going through the same thing. It's like this collectively heartbreaking experience but when we can share it together it somehow feels little bit better."
Jessica, a mom to a 3-year-old and a 2-week-old from Ontario, Canada, told "Good Morning America" her province is shut down due to the pandemic. Her husband is working from home, and she is taking some time off after giving birth.
When she went to the hospital to give birth to her youngest, both her parents had tested positive COVID-19, she said.
"They were quite sick and quarantined at home," Jessica noted. "They didn't have to be in the hospital which is great, but I worried about my mom because she had asthma."
Jessica said her parents are thankfully in recovery. On Easter Sunday, her mother Sandra approached the sliding glass door to meet her newest granddaughter.
Jessica shared the image with her 106,000 Instagram followers on her page Our Mama Village, writing in part:
Never imagined the first time my parents would meet my daughter would be through a sliding glass door...
This is not what any of us expected. These times are challenging. I’m not immune to these challenges. I’ve cried about COVID, worried about my parents and all the others who are sick, lost sleep, grieved over the postpartum l had planned and more.
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But I’ve also witnessed the kindness of strangers, the amazing care of hospital staff and midwives. I’ve seen healing, had a positive birth experience, felt love and prayers from others, and experienced amazing friends and family helping from a distance.
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These times are scary, hard, AND there is still good, light, and joy.
⠀Did I plan for my parents to meet their grandchild through a sliding door? No. But am I thankful that they could be healthy enough to meet their grandchild through a sliding door? So much yes.
Parents have commented on the April 13 post, revealing they too had their newborns meet grandparents through glass.
"I had my son March 24 and I can relate to your post whole heartily," one person wrote. "This has been one of the most challenging time’s in my life as well."
"We did this today too ... it was so sad," said another. "Definitely not the normal or what we wanted."
Jessica said she's looking forward to the day when her mother can hold her grandchild for the first time.
