Covid-19 lockdown 5 years later: ‘I never had the chance to say goodbye to my granny before her death’
The day lockdown began in 2020, I didn’t know at the time that I would never see my grandmother again.
On 23rd March, 2020, the country entered a national lockdown and on the very same day, my grandmother was moved from Raigmore Hospital into a care home.
• I worked as a carer during Covid and that “bonus” didn’t even touch the bank account
• Learning during furlough was a way out of a dark place
Granny had been ill for over a year suffering from a rare illness called GBS (Guillaine-Barre syndrome). GBS is a neurological disorder which causes weakness in the limbs, and pain in other parts of the body including the difficulty to speak or swallow.
I was living in Glasgow when Covid started to spread, studying Multimedia Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, and in the midst of writing my dissertation in my final year.
As soon as word broke that a lockdown was coming, I packed my bags and came back to Inverness. I also didn’t realise at the time that after 7 years of living in Glasgow, my time there had also come to an abrupt end when I came back home to Inverness, where I grew up, and where I have remained, living and working today.
Granny had been ill for some time by this stage, but mentally she had been strong throughout. The timing of her shift to a care home came at the worst possible stage, and the first global pandemic occurring during her lifetime whilst she was in a weak state I believe unfortunately contributed to a more rapid mental decline, when she sadly passed less than 8 weeks later in May, aged 80 years old.
My grandmother Margaret Young lived in and around Inverness for her entire life, growing up in Merkinch before moving to Raigmore and later Castle Heather. Her life had been bookended by two major global events after being born in 1940 less than a year into the Second World War. She spent much of her life working in different retail roles around Inverness including in Hoare’s and Arnott’s so would have been a recognisable face to many. Married to my grandfather for 55 years, she was a proud family woman, and the only granny I ever knew who I will always remember as an fierce, influential woman who helped to shape my life as I grew up.
I spent a lot of time with her growing up after schooldays and during summer holidays with my sister creating many wholesome memories. Quietly my family knew that I was one of her ‘favourites’ and she was immensely proud when she saw me heading off to university. Unfortunately she never got to see me graduate and embark on my career within the world of media, but I know from my grandfather how proud she would have been to see me working in a career which I love to do.
I often reflect on how I never had the chance to say goodbye to such an influential and supportive presence in my development in the first 25 years of my life. Thinking of all of the positive memories I have with her, not even being able to pinpoint the very last time I saw her is a disappointing thought that I often reflect upon.
I also think about how after 55 years of marriage, my grandfather only got the chance to spend the final weeks in her life by communicating with her through a window outside of a care home wearing a face mask whilst she was very confused as to what was going on. And it was also tough for myself, him and my mum to say our goodbyes at a funeral that was limited to a maximum of less than 20 people at a difficult period for everyone. Many others were not allowed to join us in saying our final goodbye’s due to the restrictions at the time.
But I know that our situation wasn’t isolated. 2020 was an extremely challenging year for many people losing loved ones that both suffered from Covid-19 and other illnesses which meant their families could not say a proper goodbye to them.