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.

91裸聊视频淭he day we brought him home she was able to hold him,91裸聊视频� Gage91裸聊视频檚 granddaughter Meghan Mitchell recalled Friday (July 23), of Nash91裸聊视频檚 mid-pandemic arrival.

91裸聊视频淏ut then there were lulls91裸聊视频� sometimes three weeks or a month went by that I didn91裸聊视频檛 bring him91裸聊视频� for visits.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been quite a year, to say the least.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渁 hugger91裸聊视频� and her family as 91裸聊视频渧ery, very close,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� affectionately called 91裸聊视频淣an91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� to COVID-19, despite following all the rules and taking all the precautions.

91裸聊视频淥h my gosh, our first big hug was April 1 91裸聊视频� the first time, I want to say, almost since Nash was born,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t was kind of the most awkward hug, because it had been so long.

91裸聊视频淚t was almost like, oh my gosh, this is happening? Now, it91裸聊视频檚 second-nature.91裸聊视频�

This week91裸聊视频檚 news that fully vaccinated visitors no longer have to schedule visits, wear masks or keep their distance from residents in their rooms is 91裸聊视频渁bsolutely91裸聊视频� 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, there91裸聊视频檚 no screening process for visits, and if Gage has plans to go out, 91裸聊视频渟he signs herself out.91裸聊视频�

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91裸聊视频淛ust being able to celebrate,91裸聊视频� Mitchell added. 91裸聊视频淯s being unmasked and being able to see people91裸聊视频檚 faces is huge.91裸聊视频�

That latter piece alone has been interesting with Nash, she added. The tot91裸聊视频檚 life to date has consisted of interactions with mostly masked individuals, and now she and her partner get to watch as he processes that there91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁 whole other part91裸聊视频� to people91裸聊视频檚 faces.

When it comes to her Nan, however, there91裸聊视频檚 still a hint of fear where COVID is concerned, Mitchell admits.

91裸聊视频淥ur family is still COVID-cautious,91裸聊视频� she said, 91裸聊视频渂ecause she is 95.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e still wear masks in the car91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檙e still quite cautious with that, because that91裸聊视频檚 our biggest fear, is getting Nan sick, because even a cold for her is worrisome at times.91裸聊视频�