A 96-YEAR-OLD CORONAVIRUS PATIENT IS QUARANTINED IN HER NURSING HOME. HER SON ASKED THE INTERNET FOR CAT PICTURES TO CHEER HER UP AND GOT 50,000 RESPONSES
Source: Insider (Extract)
Posted: March 23, 2020
On Saturday, Bob Hayes posted to Twitter that his 96-year-old mother — who loves cats — tested positive for the coronavirus.
The woman is quarantined in her nursing home and the only way her family can see her is by looking through the window at her facility, Hayes said.
So he turned to his followers to help cheer her up.
“A request,” he wrote. “Please send cute cat pics and I’ll print and paste them in her window.”
By Monday morning, more than 50,000 people delivered by flooding the thread with fat cats, skinny cats, black cats, spotted cats, shelter cats, and sweatered cats. Some of the cats had hats.
Along with the pictures, many of the Twitter humans also sent over well wishes and prayers for Hayes’ mom.
A few cats just cut their owners out completely and sent some selfies over from their own Twitter accounts.
While each boop was adorable, some are more unique than others…
While Hayes was specific about what kind of animal he wanted to display for his mom, some Twitter users successfully snuck in submissions of their puppies, horses, and human babies. Can’t hurt.
Insider reached out to Hayes on Monday to see how his mother is feeling and whether she’s enjoying her new window art. He didn’t immediately respond.
People around the country are trying to bring joy to elderly men and women who are isolated in nursing homes during the pandemic. Some are even worried that the social distancing efforts needed to stem the spread of coronavirus, could spur a loneliness epidemic.
Like Hayes, families are finding unique ways of staying connected to their elderly loved ones from a distance.