An introverted family of three is reminded of their roots
Kristina, Mason, and Robert Modlin, my west coast family.
My sister Kristina and Brother-in-law Robert report on their lives in Santa Barbara, California with my amazing, adorable, precious, madly beloved nephew Mason in the age of Coronavirus.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic wreaking havoc on the freedom of our daily lives and surfacing fears of our financial stability, health, resources, and the unknown. For us, a husband and wife with the most amazing two-year-old boy, these pandemic feelings bring us back to our worst yet best day of our lives, when our son Mason was born.
We know what you’re thinking, how could bringing a bundle of joy, that we just referenced as the most amazing, into the world be the worst day of our life? Well, he was born at just 25 weeks, and as much as we were delighted to see him, he required a lot of extra love in the hospital for an extra long time. During Mason’s five-month NICU stay, we lived day by day with countless moments of fears for his life and learning more about the medical world than we ever thought we would. It was touch and go, and for months we faced daily uncertainty and distress.
This precious baby, born at just two pounds, was immediately intubated and relied on a ventilator for the first two months of his life. Fortunately for us, Mason made a full (miraculous!) medical recovery with his lungs now as healthy as any other 2-year-old (did you know that lungs continue to develop until at least 3 years of age?).
While he’s now considered healthy, he is still developmentally delayed and works weekly with a Developmental Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Pathologist, and Physical Therapist.
When we first started learning about COVID-19 and its potential damage to the lungs, and dependency on ventilators throughout treatment, it made us fear for all those that would become infected. It also recharged our instinct to be hypersensitive to germs, and we can say with confidence that while our house is one of the cleanest we know, and we have multiple hand sanitizers around the house, we are still trying to kill that other 0.1%.
As an introverted family of three, the social distancing hasn’t been much of a problem for us, but unfortunately that also means Mason’s team of developmental specialists has had to cancel their services during this time. We’ve done our best to rise to the occasion and step in during these days of ‘distance learning’ in lieu of his weekly in-person visits from “the ladies,” but of course we still worry about him staying on track.
A typical week of trips to the zoo and children’s museum, playing at the park, attending music class with friends, and visits with his development team, (yes this kid lives the toddler dream and deserves every second of it), has come to a halt due to COVID-19. Our days are now spent mostly inside making obstacle courses out of oversized pillows and crib mattresses, learning how not to spill a cup, and trying to learn all of the words through play. We still make the best out of each day and are beyond grateful for the fact that we have a happy, healthy, toddler and are still gainfully employed, but we still fear the unknown.
For us we wonder: What if we get sick? What if Mason gets sick? Will we have to see our son on a ventilator again?
For the world we wonder: When will this end? How will this end? How many people will be infected? How many lives will be lost?
We understand that while our family’s days have changed dramatically, they are still far less challenging than those of many others in the world. We plan to do what we can to not only protect ourselves and others from this deadly disease, but to give back to those in our community who aren’t as fortunate to have what we have. We’re committed to doing our part to help provide food for the families that can’t get it and support our local businesses as best we can. Through these tough times (which are only getting started and which we recognize are likely to get significantly worse) may we all find love and compassion for others, and be reminded of the importance of our health, family, and dependence on one another.
Be well, be smart, and continue to love each other (from a safe 6-ft away).
— The Modlin Family
Today’s local Santa Barbara Headlines: Cottage CEO Confirms Three COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized
Best parent Instagram accounts I follow: @BusyToddler, @FeedingLittles, and @SpeechSisters
What we’re watching (aside from the news): Survivor (ironic), The Chef Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm (Larry David makes everything better), and Sesame Street (Mason especially loves Elmo)