A Florida woman who was forced to spend 114 days separated from her husband is finally able to see him daily again after she took a dish washing job at his nursing home.
As WFAA , Mary Daniel and her husband, Steve, had only been able to visit each other through a window due to coronavirus lockdown regulations. However, that has since all changed thanks to Mary’s new position at the facility.
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Steve, who has early onset Alzheimer’s, lives in the memory care unit of the Rosecastle at Deerwood nursing home in Jacksonville.
When he was first placed in the facility, Mary promised him that she would always be there to hold his hand.
However, that all changed when the coronavirus outbreak began, and all nursing homes in the state were under strict orders to close their doors to visitors. Suddenly, Mary was unable to come visit her husband ever day.
At first, the couple attempted to keep up their visits, albeit now through a window at the facility.
But unfortunately that turned out to be a total and utter disaster.
“He just cried,” Mary told WFAA . “You can’t explain it to him.”
In a separate interview with First Coast News , she admitted, “I see him disappearing in front of my eyes. And I’m starting to get mad. There has to be a better way.”
During that same interview, Mary expressed her frustration at witnessing her husband’s mental decline and being unable to help him or support him from beyond a window.
She said she’s reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office at least 100 times in an effort to be granted entry inside, while wearing full PPE, just like the home’s staff. However, despite so many attempts to get in touch, she’s only ever received automated replies in response.
“What am I saving him from?” Mary implored. “[Steve] knows me. I’m losing this time where he is the most cognizant he’s ever going to be.”
After her story went viral, Mary said the corporate office of the nursing facility contacted her with a job opportunity.
They were looking for a new dish washer, a position which would see the woman work inside the home where her husband currently resides. Of course, she accepted the offer right away.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” Mary told WFAA of her new position.
After 114 days spent apart, Mary and Steve were finally able to see each other face to face again.
“He was teary-eyed,” she recalled of the moment they were reunited. “He touched my face, even with my mask on.”
Although she was worried so much time apart would have affected his memory of her, she confirmed he knew exactly who she was when he saw her: “He called me Mary.”
Although Mary’s story of separation has a happy ending, the same can’t be said for so many other families in the country who have loved ones slipping away behind closed doors.
A new executive order from Gov. DeSantis has added another 60 days to the visitor’s ban, meaning some families could be separated for six months.
“Six months is too long,” Mary said.
That’s why she’s established a Facebook group called “Caregivers for Compromise — because isolation kills too!” .
With that group, Mary hopes to gather enough supporters and voices to convince the government that safe visits inside nursing homes are possible.
Additionally, the group will also push for the state of Florida to establish communication with the families of those people inside facilities, including discussing what potential criteria will be involved upon opening nursing homes to visitors again.
As of writing, the group has 561 members.
For more information, check out Mary’s Facebook group .
h/t: WFAA , First Coast News
