Family faced tough times DI BARTOK As a mother of a young family of four children, Mira Semino dreads becoming ill, even mildly. When her children are ill, Mira and husband Arthur fuss over them, following medical advice and their own parental instincts. But, when, one by one the whole family becomes ill with Covid-19, including stalwart Mira, life becomes tough. “It has been a hard time,” Mira, who, like her husband, hails from the Philippines. They live with their children aged 1, 2, 6 and 10 in a Parramatta apartment. “My husband was the first to become ill, with a fever and sore throat, even though he had been wearing a mask at work, then the next day our youngest son had symptoms, then I started feeling unwell but ignored by symptoms as I had to carry on for the family.” Eventually, all of the family tested positive for Covid. Arthur, who had just started a new job as handyman, was told by his boss to stay at home, not being paid.
“That was tough,” Mira said. “But he is back at work now. The hardest part was the home-schooling as we didn’t have a suitable computer.” The school came to the rescue, lending the family a laptop so the two eldest children could do their schoolwork. “One of the most difficult things was shopping - as we shop for Filipino food, home delivery from a conventional supermarket was not the same,” Mira said.
Now that everything has returned to normal, Mira and Arthur worry every time their children develop a sniffle. “Children often get colds, especially with the changing weather, but now it is more of a worry,” Mira said. Mira said better access to Rapid Antigen Tests and more family support would make life easier for all families, especially those with language difficulties.
Mira Semino and her four children.
Issue 01 | May 2022 | 13
