Covid rules out cuddles with grandparents
MUM’S HEARTBREAK AS HER PARENTS YET TO HOLD NEWBORN
THE mother of a newborn child has described as ‘heartbreaking’ the fact her parents haven’t been able to hold or cuddle their new grandchild because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Rebecca Glynn and her husband Alan welcomed their third child, Adah, into the world, weighing a healthy 7lbs 2oz. However, coronavirus restrictions mean that Rebecca’s parents, John and Marie Fogden, haven’t yet been able to hold their newest grandchild.
Rebecca, who lives in Wicklow town, said: ‘My parents weren’t able to hold Adah or give her a cuddle. It’s heartbreaking to be honest. My mum loves babies at the newborn stage.
‘They grow up so quick and I’m sure she will have changed a lot by the time my parents get a chance to hold her in their arms. I know they are desperate to spend some time and bond with her.
‘It’s very difficult on my parents and it’s a whole different experience compared to the birth of their other grandchildren,’ said Rebecca.
Adah’s older brother and sister also desperately miss their grandparents.
THE mother of a newborn child has described as ‘heartbreaking’ the fact her parents haven’t been able to hold or cuddle their new grandchild because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Rebecca Glynn and her husband Alan have been cocooning in their Wicklow town home since March 13 with their children Noah aged seven and Esme who is three.
Rebecca gave birth to their third child Adah, a beautiful baby girl weighing 7lbs 2oz who arrived at 5.42 a.m. They left hospital the next day and along the route home stopped at Rebecca’s parents house to introduce them to their latest grandchild. However, social distancing restrictions meant John and Marie Fogden could only see Adah through a front window of their home.
‘My parents weren’t able to hold Adah or give her a cuddle. It’s heartbreaking to be honest. My mum loves babies at the newborn stage. They grow up so quick and I’m sure she will have changed a lot by the time my parents get a chance to hold her in their arms.
‘We should be able to visit them on June 8 when restrictions are lessened but they still will have to keep their distance and won’t be able to hold her.
‘I know they are desperate to spend some time and bond with her. It’s very difficult on my parents and it’s a whole different experience compared to the birth of their other grandchildren,’ said Rebecca.
Not being able to spend time with their granny and granddad has also proved a difficult time for Noah and Esme, who usually see their grandparents every day. It’s particularly hard on Noah, who has special needs.
‘It hasn’t been easy for them,’ said Rebecca.
‘Noah doesn’t really understand why he can’t have a big hug from his grandparents. We have told Noah and Esme that there is a bug out there ad we don’t want to give it to granny and granddad but it’s very difficult for them to understand.
‘Esme has said as that as soon as things get back to normal she wants to go to granny and granddad’s house for a sleepover. My parents are missing the kids terribly as they would normally see them every day.
‘The children’s whole world has been turned upside down. They can’t play with friends or go to playschool. It’s been heartbreaking as well. They are very social and chatty at that age - that’s how they bond with people.
‘You worry about the longterm impact it could have on them. When things get back to normal they still might have a little anxiety about the bug, even though we have been doing our best to reassure them. We are trying to keep the whole family safe, and when things move to the new normal there will be plenty of kisses and cuddles coming my parents way from their grandchildren.’
A number of road work schemes are expected to begin in the Arklow area in the coming weeks.
The list of planned works include road surfacing and some traffic calming measures on a section of the Coast Road/R750, resurfacing of a section of the Ballyduff to Johnstown Road, resurfacing of the road from Abbey Street to Yellow Lane and resurfacing works at Tower Avenue, Avoca and Mongan/ Kilcarra West. Councillor Pat Fitzgerald welcomed the news said all the works should be completed by the end of July.
Members of the Arklow Municipal District took part in Zoom call on Wednesday to receive an update on works in the district.
Meanwhile, road works are continuing on the Vale Road (R747) between Arklow and Woodenbridge this week. The road safety improvement works started on Friday and the local authority said these works would take around ten days to complete. A traffic management system will be put in place while the works are ongoing.
Works on the Ballyduff to Johnstown Road were due to get underway yesterday (Tuesday, May 19) and are expected to take around five days.