Leola and her family were hit by COVID cycle

Back in March, several members of Leola's family came down with COVID-19. Then in September, another family member got it. Each time, they feared for their health, and the family members who didn't have it still needed to quarantine while awaiting test results.

For much of this year, Leola and her family suffered a vicious cycle of someone having the virus while the rest isolated at home. There were precious few moments when COVID-19 wasn't in their lives.

They're healthy now, but the lingering effects remain. It's not an easy thing to explain.

“There's something that's not the same with my body,” she said. “After COVID, my body doesn't feel right.”

She's thankful that things weren't much worse. Leola has diabetes and requires two types of insulin, making her immunocompromised and susceptible to complications. She also has three children. One is an adult and lives with his family, but she has two teenage children, both with special needs. One has autism while the other has a speech delay. Her children are both in school, and one is thriving in a special program.

Leola used to worry about what would happen to her children as adults, but she finally feels like they'll have the tools to function.

“I'm just thankful we're all alive. It was challenging for us to have COVID,” she said. “But you hear about so many healthy people dying from the virus, so it could have been worse for us.”

This year, Leola will be one of the thousands of Montrealers in need to receive a $125 cheque from the

Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund. The fund helps make the holidays a little easier for those in tough situations.