On the front Moms who are essential workers during this crisis face difficult choices BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS
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ith New Hampshire schools closed and remote learning continuing through the end of the school year, parents are juggling more now than ever. And it’s tougher still for those essential workers who must commute to their jobs at hospitals, police stations, grocery stores, banks or newsrooms. Some receive hazard pay and protective equipment for their work,
Kaylie Stewart of Londonderry is a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. COURTESY PHOTO
while others do not. Not only are they potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19, but they worry about introducing the virus to their families. While working on the front lines is par for the course in professions such as health care or law enforcement, it’s new territory for others. Even for those professionals used to working during a crisis, COVID-19 brings with it new challenges and fears.
KAYLIE STEWART, 36, of Londonderry, is a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, where she normally works in surgical oncology but is now working in the special pathogens unit, which deals with COVID-19 patients. Sometimes her shifts are cancelled, but lately it’s become very busy; she expects to work long shifts in the weeks ahead. Thankfully, her husband works full-time from home to watch their two children Adelaide, 5, and Shea,
8 www.parentingnh.com | MAY 2020