WOSU's project Letters From Home is sharing stories from isolation—how Ohioans are getting through this pandemic, alone and together. In addition to adding new challenges to our lives, the coronavirus has also complicated old ones.
One couple is handling a big addition to their family in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. Expecting a new baby can be daunting under the best of circumstances.
Expecting one in a pandemic can be nerve-wracking. Expecting three is a whole other level.
Springfield residents Morgan and Derek Harnly, and their 3-year-old son Grayson, welcomed triplets in late March. The pandemic hit when Morgan was in her third trimester of pregnancy, and it wasn't an easy thing to navigate.
"There's a lot of anxiety trying to determine what the best course of action is," Harnly says. "You're already anxious in general because you're expecting triplets... and unfortunately, a lot of the doctors didn't have answers."
Giving birth at the time meant only one other person would be allowed with Harnly in the delivery room. This change was hard for the couple: She missed sharing the special birthing moment with her family.
"You want to be able to share your life and your children with your family," Harnly says.
To raise three new children in isolation, Harnly said they've had a few close family members quarantining and helping out these last two months. The hardest part for now is entertaining their 3-year-old, stuck at home with no one to play with.
"All the people that he normally has in his life are dedicated to keeping three other children alive," Harnly says.
Still, the couple is making do.
"It's a struggle, it really is, but you know what they say: You never know what you can do until you're in the midst of it," Harnly says.
Come join our conversation.
This week's prompt features the question, How have you created or maintained meaningful personal relationships?
Answer this question using the form below, and try to keep below 1,000 words. Your response may be edited for length and clarity.
