Today (July 24) may not be the first time that South Surrey senior Doris Gage gets to hold her great-grandson Nash, but it will be the first time she does it amongst a crowd of more than two dozen family and friends, as they gather at a Langley park to celebrate his first birthday.

害羞草研究所淭he day we brought him home she was able to hold him,害羞草研究所� Gage害羞草研究所檚 granddaughter Meghan Mitchell recalled Friday (July 23), of Nash害羞草研究所檚 mid-pandemic arrival.

害羞草研究所淏ut then there were lulls害羞草研究所� sometimes three weeks or a month went by that I didn害羞草研究所檛 bring him害羞草研究所� for visits.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been quite a year, to say the least.害羞草研究所�

Gage, 95, has been living at Amica White Rock since last September, after moving from her White Rock apartment to an independent-living unit six months after the pandemic was declared.

At the time, public-health restrictions meant she went into an immediate two-week isolation period. And after that, months passed where visits were essentially limited to one person and had to be carefully planned. As well, personal protective equipment was an essential part of the equation and pre-pandemic norms such as hugging were off the table, seemingly indefinitely.

Mitchell, who describes herself as 害羞草研究所渁 hugger害羞草研究所� and her family as 害羞草研究所渧ery, very close,害羞草研究所� remembers it was difficult to adjust to life without that physical contact, and, sadly, how it initially felt foreign when restrictions started to ease in April, and those connections were once again within reach.

They came after a year of living with the fear of inadvertently exposing Gage 害羞草研究所� affectionately called 害羞草研究所淣an害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� to COVID-19, despite following all the rules and taking all the precautions.

害羞草研究所淥h my gosh, our first big hug was April 1 害羞草研究所� the first time, I want to say, almost since Nash was born,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t was kind of the most awkward hug, because it had been so long.

害羞草研究所淚t was almost like, oh my gosh, this is happening? Now, it害羞草研究所檚 second-nature.害羞草研究所�

This week害羞草研究所檚 news that fully vaccinated visitors no longer have to schedule visits, wear masks or keep their distance from residents in their rooms is 害羞草研究所渁bsolutely害羞草研究所� a big deal, Mitchell said. It means Mitchell and her partner can visit Gage together, the entire family can plan dinners and visits and outings, there害羞草研究所檚 no screening process for visits, and if Gage has plans to go out, 害羞草研究所渟he signs herself out.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所淛ust being able to celebrate,害羞草研究所� Mitchell added. 害羞草研究所淯s being unmasked and being able to see people害羞草研究所檚 faces is huge.害羞草研究所�

That latter piece alone has been interesting with Nash, she added. The tot害羞草研究所檚 life to date has consisted of interactions with mostly masked individuals, and now she and her partner get to watch as he processes that there害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渁 whole other part害羞草研究所� to people害羞草研究所檚 faces.

When it comes to her Nan, however, there害羞草研究所檚 still a hint of fear where COVID is concerned, Mitchell admits.

害羞草研究所淥ur family is still COVID-cautious,害羞草研究所� she said, 害羞草研究所渂ecause she is 95.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e still wear masks in the car害羞草研究所� we害羞草研究所檙e still quite cautious with that, because that害羞草研究所檚 our biggest fear, is getting Nan sick, because even a cold for her is worrisome at times.害羞草研究所�