Early days of the pandemic
Since the UK lockdown on 23rd March, life has changed for all of us. Our freedom was stripped away from us to save the lives of those around us and ease the pressure on the NHS and under obligatory rules from the Prime Minister, we were all confined to our homes. Some of us, however, were tasked with the challenge of remaining on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic; with key workers such as nurses, supermarket assistants and funeral staff leaving the safety of their homes and keep the country running despite the dangers they faced.
Background
Stella is a funeral arranger who was called to action and given the responsibility as a key worker to continue working throughout lockdown. Coming into close proximity with deceased victims of the deadly virus, Stella’s life was also on the line as unbeknown to her, she had an underlying health condition and was diabetic. After this diagnosis in early April, Stella was signed off from work and required to shield herself from the outside world for 12 weeks, restricting her from seeing family and friends and preventing her from shopping for essential goods.
Cut off from the outside world
From then on, life in lockdown would not be easy. “I felt so isolated from the world and it’s not a feeling I was used to,” says Stella as she recounts the long three-month period spent alone. “Thanks to the wonders of modern technology I was able to stay in contact with my children via Facetime and that made all the difference when being stuck at home all day.” Under doctor’s orders to not leave the house, Stella was eligible to receive weekly food boxes sent by volunteers which was essential to her staying healthy.
Staying productive
Luckily, Stella was able to find ways of keeping her mind occupied. She is fortunate enough to have a back-garden where she was able to renovate damages grow vegetable and enjoy the fresh air when many others were trapped in flats with no outdoor space. Although Stella had no human contact, this doesn’t mean she was alone. Her feline friends Bob and Oscar were by her side throughout it all. We can always count on our furry companions for company during tough times!
