Audio courtesy of Rafael Krux
David Morrison
Last October during the pandemic lockdown, my wife and I committed to helping a Chihuahua mix puppy in Mazatlán, Mexico. He was found by a rescue shelter volunteer all alone, completely malnourished, full of mange and very unwell due to infection. We were familiar with the rescue shelter because we’ve adopted other dogs from them, all of which have been incredible additions to our family. After seeing this little guy on their website, we committed to sponsoring him and adopting him as soon as was possible.
Under the care of the shelter and a temporary foster home in the area, we supported his medical treatment. After several health battles and nearly losing him on multiple occasions, he finally made a full recovery. As luck would have it, one of the shelter volunteers is a Canadian snowbird. This summer, he offered to drive the puppy to his home in Vancouver, where I was able to finally fly out to get him after receiving our vaccines. I joke with my wife that this was an extremely long “fetch” that she sent me on, but it was so worth it! Finally meeting him in person was an emotional and truly incredible moment.
We decided to name the puppy Chapo, and it didn’t take long for him to reveal his survivor’s personality. He’s energetic, loving and a perfect fit with the other dogs in our family. We have a large property and Chapo now runs to his heart’s content. He just seemed to know that he was at journey’s end. We are so grateful that we were able to finally bring him home.
Photos courtesy of Stephen Javelosa
Stephen Javelosa
My partner Victoria and I got engaged about four months before the pandemic hit. She’s a nurse at another hospital, and I worked on the COVID unit here at Sunnybrook from the second wave onward. We weren’t living together at the time, and we knew the risks were high. For about six months, the only time we would see each other was for socially-distanced visits, like driving to a parking lot and catching up from our cars with the windows rolled down. It definitely wasn’t how we had envisioned the start of our engagement to be.
Working on the COVID unit was so difficult, and yet seeing some patients recovering made all the hardships worthwhile. Sharing these highs and lows with Victoria, even from far across a parking lot, gave me the emotional support to keep going.
When the vaccines became available, we were grateful to get our shots. They provided some protection, peace of mind and allowed life to open up in some ways again. We had always planned our wedding to be in August 2021, and were able to make that happen with some restrictions. It took place at a large outdoor venue, so a number of our friends and loved ones were able to attend. The ceremony was also streamed, so others – including some of my Sunnybrook colleagues – were able to virtually celebrate with us. The best part is, I can finally say that Victoria is my wife!
Looking back, the whole experience was so surreal. From our hopeful beginnings of getting engaged, the sad moments of not being able to see each other, to the incredible moment of finally getting to the altar. I’ll never forget the big cheer we got when we said our “I dos” and kissed! It was amazing.
Photos courtesy of Nicole Pittman
Nicole Pittman
Fishing has been my lifelong hobby and my happy place. Having come from the east coast where you’re surrounded by water, it’s just one of those things you inadvertently want to do.
As a recreation therapist I’m an extrovert by day, but being on the water lets me be an introvert. When you’re out on a boat and hear nothing but nature, it’s priceless. I often fish alone, but do have one friend I love going out with. We have an ongoing friendly competition on who can catch the most fish, even though I throw most of mine back being a vegetarian.
In June 2021, we were able to fish together for the first time since the start of the pandemic. As soon as I threw the first cast, I just looked at her and it was lit!
For all the chaos in the world right now, it’s exciting to finally do something you love with those who are important to you. It’s been such a long time! For me, getting vaccinated means having fun again and getting back to life.
Miruna Charlotte Karunanithy
I’m a big movie person. I appreciate the art form and love getting suspended in the excitement and escape of a great storyline. I always pick the seat at the back of the theatre for the best sound and visuals. That moment when you hear the roar of an engine or something big happening on screen, it’s just awesome and perks up all your other senses.
The first movie I remember seeing in a theatre was Star Wars. The 8-year-old-me hadn’t seen anything like it, so it totally blew my mind. Besides horror, I love all genres of film. My favorite movie of all time is The Sound of Music. To this day, I’ll still watch it and sing along.
When theatres were locked down, I really missed the experience of seeing films a few times per month. My sister Grace and I would often go on sister dates, or I’d treat myself to a solo movie after work. When we were finally able to get vaccinated and get back to the theatre in September, it was amazing! Who knows what the months ahead will bring, so I’m encouraging myself and those I love to appreciate these freedoms and pleasures again.
Beth Singleton
I look forward to so many things, but particularly love taking my two nephews, Thomas and Bailey, to a Toronto Blue Jays game. We have gone every year since they were 4- and 6-years-old. Then the pandemic hit, and these wonderful traditions had to be put on hold.
After we were all double vaccinated, life started opening up again. We were beyond excited to be able to continue our tradition by getting tickets to the August 4 Jays game against Cleveland. Sharing this time together was a nice symbol of life moving forward, and it meant so much to experience this with them.
Seeing Thomas and Bailey that day, I couldn’t believe how much they had grown. When the pandemic started, they still looked like kids. Now, Thomas is 16 and Bailey is 14, so they are taller and stronger and look like grown men! Getting hugs from them felt amazing, even though they need to bend over to hug me now!
