CARING FOR CHILDREN
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in California was a little less than a month away when 40-year-old San Jose resident Vicky Zarzosa Valencia gave birth to her second child, Dennis, on Dec. 28, 2019.
The first few months were a struggle for mother and son. Born with a respiratory condition, Dennis spent the first 27 days of his life in a neonatal intensive care unit. And he returned to the hospital within two weeks of being released, to be treated for bronchitis.
Valencia’s concerns for Dennis’ health only grew in March, when the pandemic was in full swing and a state of emergency was declared in California. The thought of venturing to a grocery store to buy baby supplies filled the single mother with fear.
“I’m scared of this pandemic,” Valencia said during a socially distanced interview at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden in mid- October. “I’m scared of putting my child close to the people.” But help was on the way.
A caseworker with the Healthier Kids Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in San Jose, called Valencia with an offer to purchase roughly a month-and-a-half worth of baby supplies of her choosing, at no cost to her, and with no strings attached.
Within days, a package filled with diapers, wipes, lotion and shampoo arrived at her doorstep. The package is one of roughly 770 the foundation has distributed to families during the pandemic.
“Imagine coming home (from the hospital) and you don’t know how you’re going to get out and get these supplies,” said Healthier Kids Foundation CEO Kathleen King.
“That was the thought behind it. Maybe we could just make it a little easier for a little while for some parents going through some very stressful times.”