One Year Of COVID In Appalachia: Fathers Talk Bonding With Babies, Teenagers Share How The Pandemic Has Upended Their Lives, And More

Foster Care in a Pandemic World The pandemic has reshaped so much of our lives, and that was true for families fostering and adopting children, too. In Eastern Kentucky, 22-year-old Hannah Adams found herself with a front-row view of the process, after she was sent back home from college and moved back in with her mom, who was in the midst of adopting a foster child.  As a result, Hannah made a 12-minute audio documentary about the experience for the Appalachian Media Institute, called “Foster Care in a Pandemic World.” New Fathers and Quarantine Babies Becoming a parent can be scary. Add a global pandemic into the equation and that can make things even scarier. This week, we check back in with new fathers, including Joe Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. His fiancé gave birth to their daughter in early 2020, just before the global pandemic.  Buckland reflected on the memories that stand out to him from the past year, including moments where he and his family found peace together. He recalled an evening last summer when he was rocking his daughter Olivia to sleep. “And she just nuzzled in. And it just felt complete.” Teens in Wales and Appalachia Share Commonalities Appalachia’s had hundreds of years of connection to Wales; why should the pandemic get in the way? A group of teenagers from Wales and Appalachia have been sending each other audio letters over the last year. Sam McCarthy and Ela Cudlip are from Merthyr Tydfill, Wales. And Brooke Thomas and Mackenzie Kessler are from Fayette County, West Virginia. They shared their stories about how their family and school lives have been impacted by the pandemic, and it turns out, much of what they’ve experienced is universal. Their past year has been marked by upended milestones, like delays in getting their driver’s licenses. Road to Recovery Going forward, there’s a long road to recovery, whether it’s of our social lives, our jobs, or our health. We’ve lost over half a million Americans, and some COVID long-haulers are still dealing with lingering health effects. Others have made a full recovery after fearing for their lives. That was the case for Robert Villamagna, who lives in Wheeling, West Virginia. He got a serious case of COVID-19 and was hospitalized twice. Last year, we twice featured Villamagna on Inside Appalachia. In this episode, we catch up with him again to see how things are going now. Dealing with COVID-Related Burnout The past year has been tough on all of us. Many people are starting to feel pandemic-related fatigue. Carol Smith, professor of counseling at Marshall University, said it’s normal to feel burned out. Issues have compounded on each other and have left people feeling down. Smith said being kind to ourselves is key to getting through social isolation. She also suggested against scheduling tasks back-to-back, as it doesn’t give our brain time to rest. If you or someone you know need to talk to a mental health professional, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline. The number is 1-800-662-4357.