Coronavirus: My disabled son is on his own without any help

Summary

I'd like to share what I am currently living through during the coronavirus with my 25-year-old son who has significant cerebral palsy due to kernicterus and is speech, hearing and motor impaired

Content

Ten days ago, *Mark developed a mild headache, minor fever and sore throat. He is in Denver and we are in Mexico. We Face timed him every day and his aid, *Sandy, was coming to see him every other day.

But then Sandy's husband became ill and as she has been exposed to whatever her husband has, she has to now self-isolate at home with her husband.

Mark has had no helper now for 7 days. Mark has access to the US government assistant programme, but unfortunately there are no other aids available right now. So we are trying to get him home as soon as possible, but we can’t until he is symptom free. I am getting ready to jump on a plane. Being isolated and without an aid has caused him periods of considerable paranoia and anxiety.

Disabled people at home who rely on home healthcare are now at risk of no help. Fortunately Mark is very good at ordering out food for delivery and is able to walk with his walker to the pharmacy for his medication, but I worry about all the other disabled people who may inadvertently get abandoned in this pandemic due to low workforce.

*Names have been changed in this blog to ensure confidentiality.