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“You’re a Horrible Mother for Taking Your Child to a Hospital During Corona”: Mom Bullied for Bringing Daughter to Hospital for Broken Bone Speaks Out

Just when you think things can’t get any more unexpected, your five-year-old breaks her finger during a national pandemic.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

I’ve been relatively calm regarding Corona. We’re young, we’re healthy. We’re taking precautions, we have faith. But a hospital certainly wasn’t a place I wanted to break quarantine for.

As we entered the pediatric unit, the staff at the front desk handed out masks and directed us on our way. As a former nurse, I’ve spent the last decade comfortably working in hospitals. But seeing the eerily empty hallways and the healthcare providers in hazmat suits had me reasonably unnerved. It’s hard not to miss faces, and smiles, and full deep breaths.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

As we waited for the orthopedic surgeon, I wiped down every surface my daughter touched with my can of Clorox. I sat back and wondered how much harder quarantine was going to be for a child in a cast who can no longer ride her bike or run through the sprinklers, the tiny joys that were pulling us through. Then, I got out my camera and documented our experience. A small video of my daughter’s bravery. A few still shots of her proudly wearing her new pink cast. I posted them and went on my way.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

It was a few hours later when I realized my video had been viewed by a lot more people than just our friends and family. I started filtering through the comments, some of which were sympathies, a lot were ridicule.

There were comments ranging from, ‘You’re a horrible mother for taking your child to a hospital during Corona,’ to ‘I noticed she touched the wall in the video. She’s probably infected now.’ I don’t pay much mind to people online, but this incessant need to tear a mother down for repairing her child’s broken bone really made me think about a lesser known side effect of Corona: Fear.

During a pandemic, an appropriate amount of fear is necessary. It is fear that keeps us from jumping off bridges because they’re too high, and it is fear that keeps us indoors and self-isolated. Fear is often a great friend and an even better catalyst for safety.

Stephanie Hanrahan
Stephanie Hanrahan
Stephanie Hanrahan is wife to a sick husband, mother to special needs kiddos, and a woman who often unravels then finds her footing again. Learn how she traded her pretending for a panty liner on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog, Tinkles Her Pants (www.tinklesherpants.com), where she leaks nothing but the truth.

Abby & Brittany: Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel is Married!

They’re the most famous conjoined twins in the world, and now Abby Hensel, of the duo Abby and Brittany, is now married! 

Babysitter Knows Mom Is “Paranoid” After Her Baby’s Death—So She Texts Her This Picture

The 15-year-old needed to make a sandwich, but she didn't want to let the baby out of her sight. She was in quite the predicament.

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