Lock down with coronavirus as a carer for my beautiful daughter Georgina
We started our journey of ‘lockdown’ in Florida USA which was very scary and possibly our most worrying time. When we travelled from the UK on the 10th March we were all aware of the virus but never expected within days how the world would change.
Three days into the holiday the first signs that life was changing was at breakfast when the staff started serving our food with gloves on. The shops and restaurants started closing and we noticed people were distancing themselves and wearing masks.
Like most people we were constantly listening to the news. You forget how much distress and anxiety about this virus is reported in the media and the danger that this itself can cause. Georgina also listened to and understood much of what was being reported and unfortunately also took on some of this worry and concern.
After a lot of disruption with many changes to our travel arrangements which were a challenge in themselves, it was such a relief to climb onto the aeroplane on the evening of the 24th March a completely different journey from when we left England our whole world had changed.
We arrived back into an England in lockdown. Georgina was aware she would have no outside carers for three months therefore she decided to interview her younger brother Callum to be her Carer and offered him £1 hour! Callum has looked after Georgina for a couple of hours each day while myself and my husband have a break for exercise, essential shopping or helping elderly friends.
Georgina will always ask the night before, “What are we doing tomorrow?” This always makes us laugh - but we always decide on a plan. Callum is great with Georgina, he designs activities: artwork, playing games, making candles, jewellery and he is preparing exercise programmes for the next few weeks. Georgina always likes to have an idea what she is doing the next day and this routine helps us all.
Sunday we will sometimes tune into an online virtual Church service and we have started eating at the table as a family more. We’ve found it helpful to say our own thoughts and prayers aloud, keeping in our prayers my own mother and sister who have the virus and we have been so worried about them. We know the importance of keeping positive and hopeful as Georgina always says, “Be happy, don’t worry - every little thing will be alright.”
We will all need to readjust to normal life when we are all allowed out and about again. Georgina will need to be helped to understand that it is all right to go out and reassured and encouraged to relax and feel safe. If Georgina had her way she would be quite happy with us all staying in forever. I am confident that whatever happens we will all come out of this stronger and more united as a family and grateful for this life.
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