We are 'ONE FAM' in a Million

Me and my family including my extended one were almost all inoculated with the first dose of Pfizer/Moderna vaccine. Almost because the remaining 4 out of a large family of 20 people are kids below 10 years old. Had these kids been eligible to get the vaccine they would have gotten it too.

Getting vaccinated is not a decision that our family had to make. For all of us, it is a given. We all believe in the science of vaccination. If a vaccine is out there to protect our health and fight-off a virus - the next step for us to do is to get it. No questions ask nor second thoughts at all.

This Covid-19 virus had really given our family a tremendous scare when it started. For one, we were so anxious then about the safety of our senior parents. Thus, when all the health restrictions were put in place by our public health officials – we make it a point that each and everyone of us tried our very best to follow the restrictions strictly for the sake of our senior parents.

It has been very hard for all of us. Even though we are part of different households – we have all grown up in a culture of a very close-knit family. We are the type of families who love to frequently get together on every occasion there is. New years, Christmas, Birthdays, you name it we celebrate it with parties and more. And even without any special occasion at all we get together just for our kids to bond or just hanging out on weekends just to catch up and unwind. However, this Covid-19 pandemic took all these away from us.

It’s not only that we are scared for our senior parents but also, we were worried for the safety of half of the member of our family. We have front liners and essential workers in our midst. As some would say they are in the line of fire. All these had made us really hoped and prayed hard for a vaccine that would combat this covid-19 virus the soonest time possible.

Lo and behold - the Covid-19 vaccine came out. As soon as the first eligibility for the vaccine was announced - my sister, Carol, the front liner was one of the first batch of people who get inoculated with Moderna vaccine and the very first vaccinated person in our family. After her, were my sister-in-laws, Hazel and Model – one is a front liner and the other an essential worker. Next to them, that made us really thankful and glad was the inoculation of our senior parents, Terrie and Maria. Followed by my husband, Alvin, who’s an essential worker himself - together with my younger brother, Randy and my nephew, Leo. The very next after week after my husband’s vaccination was my turn to have mine. At that same time was my brother-in-law, Jason, who’s an essential worker too. A couple of weeks after that was my brother, Allan’s turn to get his. After that it was all the 12 and above young adult in our family – my nieces – Emmarie, Nicole, Kaila and Alliah and my nephew – Lanze. In a span of less than 2 months we all had our first dose vaccination from RBC Supersite.

We are very thankful to the Manitoba government, public health officials and vaccine task force for making these all happen. Our whole family is now one by one getting our second doses. And we are so looking forward to the 4-3-2-1 Great Summer.

We are so excited to be all fully vaccinated as a family. Not only for our family’s safety but also for our friends and the people around us - our community.

For our family, it will mean very wonderful things ahead to look forward to. For one, we can then anticipate a Christmas celebration the same as what we had in 2019 and not the online celebration that we had in 2020 .

Looking forward to these....

Christmas Eve 2019 & New Year's Eve 2020

And no more of this...

Online Zoom - Christmas Eve 2020

Our senior parents can get to see and hug their grandkids as much as they would like. Our kids being cousins would now be able to bond with one another again in person. And our family can all go back to being the traditionally close-knit family we all are and celebrate our togetherness again.

It really pays to get vaccinated.