Lifting the Load By Camilla Robinson
On a Saturday in January, in the middle of the Rancho Shopping Market’s parking lot in Los Altos, California, regular shoppers bought their groceries, stopped by the local frozen yogurt store, and dropped off clothes to be dry cleaned. Many of them noticed a large number of cars and people congregating together. With pink shirts and handmade signs, the group was ready. They marched together
across the street to a nearby house and started to cheer as a masked girl came onto the porch. Stella Bennett had spent the last few months in isolation recovering from a bone marrow transplant and had recently received the unfortunate news that her medical isolation was being extended six weeks due to a spike in local COVID numbers. Being denied the chance to finally meet some friends after such a long period of separation was
a considerable mental blow. Members of Stella’s community came out in support of her, offering cheers of encouragement outside her window. Even though she was unable to communicate directly with them, she felt their powerful presence. The local town crier commented that it was “a show of support from family and friends … to provide a moral boost for Stella”. For Stella and her family, this demonstration of support meant so much more than just a simple show of solidarity.