By J1 reporter Grace Specht

Keeping the elderly healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic is very important, so when life is constantly moving, people must find other ways to connect with the people that mean the most to them. Many Marian girls have gotten creative with how they have kept in touch with their grandparents. 

Cousins junior Liza Heim and freshman Amelia Roth had to think outside the box when their grandma’s 80th birthday was coming up and they could not celebrate together. 

“My grandparents needed to see people as much as I did,” Roth said. Heim, Roth and the rest of their extended family showed up to their grandparents’ house and surprised their grandmother with loving family members, a birthday cake, and a bonfire to celebrate, all while keeping a 6-foot distance. “It was a great way to make some fun out of a hard situation,” Heim said. 

Ryan and Colleen Sully (sophomore and senior) have been keeping their grandparents entertained in their driveway. The Sully family has been walking over to their grandparents’ house recently and have shown them some intense competition by playing basketball and soccer. “We thought they would like some entertainment, because we couldn’t come over like we normally would,” said Ryan. 

Junior Julia Quinn celebrated her grandma’s birthday through Zoom this year. They sang “Happy Birthday” to her and celebrated as a family, virtually.

“It really meant a lot to her to be able to see our faces virtually since she could not in person,” Quinn said. All of Quinn’s family was able to catch up and celebrate just as if they were together in person.

Junior Ellie Miller usually visits her Nanie in her nursing home once or twice a week. She still continues the visits but they are just a little different now. Miller and her family have been speaking with her via FaceTime about three times a week. Her family also likes to go surprise their Nanie at the window of her nursing home at least once a week. “It really makes her day when we give her a surprise visit at the window,” Miller said.

As COVID-19 has been getting worse Miller and her family are no longer able to open the window when they visit their Nanie. They now sit outside her window so they can see each other and call so they can talk.

According to the April Network Google survey,  Marian girls said they have been calling, texting and FaceTiming their grandparents daily to keep them updated on what they are doing during the break. Some girls have been helping their grandparents out by dropping groceries off on their front porch. Although, this time is tough on everyone Marian girls are finding unique ways to safely connect with their grandparents. COVID-19 has cancelled many things, but it can’t cancel family relationships.