SPOKANE, Wash. — Through the uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak, schools have been closed, and finding childcare as an essential worker can be a tedious process.
Sarah Berthoud and her husband are both full-time nurses working on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis. Since stay-home closures first began seven weeks ago, they had to focus on their responsibilities at the hospital while balancing homeschool with their child.
“We decided that it was time to send him over to grandmas for the time being until we know how the COVID thing is going to hit us,” Berthoud said.
Their six-year-old son Micah is in kindergarten. While his parents are exposed to coronavirus patients at the hospital, he’s living with his Grandmother Kathy Eaton.
“It just made sense,” Eaton said. “I have a big house and I was all by myself so now we’ve made it through five weeks.”
It was easier to make this temporary switch instead of worrying about bringing something home that could harm their child, or her mother while she watched him when they were at work.
So far it’s been a blessing for both sides. When her husband of 51 years passed away last year it was the first time Eaton was in the home by herself.
“Without my children, I would be lost,” explained Eaton. “My husband died in October and they have just sustained me. My grandkids too.”
Having the company of her grandson has helped keep her busy. They’ve made homemade pumpkin pies, built forts together, and they even celebrated his birthday with a parade in cars.
“The fact that she was willing and able to step up and take on this big task to help us out has been just the most amazing,” Berthoud said. “She’s got a heart of gold that could never be replaced.”