Rhiannon: An Essential Worker With an At-Risk Daughter

In January, Rhiannon’s daughter, Kynslee, was diagnosed with HSP Vasculitis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and blood vessels to burst. Between the disease and the steroid treatment Kynslee received, she was at an extreme risk of contracting an infectious disease. 

Then COVID-19 hit. 

The daycare that both of Rhiannon’s two young children attended shut down. Both Rhiannon and her husband were classified as essential workers, but with nowhere to send their children, they had to make the decision for her husband to take a leave of absence from work. 

“We decided for him to take off because he works in a factory around a lot of people,” Rhiannon explained. 

His company granted him 12 weeks off of work as required by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, but the first two weeks were without pay, and the last 10 weeks he only received ⅔ pay. 

“That hurt us financially,” Rhiannon said. 

While her husband stayed home with the kids, Rhiannon continued working full time as the Site Coordinator of a youth services program. Although she was able to do some of her work remotely, a large part of Rhiannon’s job is hands-on in the community. 

Knowing that her daughter was extra susceptible to catching a disease filled Rhiannon with anxiety. Two of her co-workers and one of her cousins tested positive for COVID-19 and then recovered. 

“I work with a low socioeconomic community, so [it’s difficult] just getting them the resources they need as far as the internet, computers, and food,” she said. During the height of the pandemic, she personally dropped food off at their houses. 

Along with the loss of income from her husband’s job, having at least three of them at home all day caused the family’s bills to increase. 

“We were spending more on groceries than normal,” Rhiannon said. “We used credit cards and saved everything we could. We didn’t do any unnecessary spending.” 

Because her husband was taking a leave of absence, they were unable to collect unemployment benefits to help bridge the gap in their income. Rhiannon and her family received a $500 emergency payment from SaverLife and Wells Fargo. She put $400 of the money toward paying off a credit card bill and used the other $100 for a veterinarian bill. 

On June 1, her husband had to return to work, and so the kids returned to daycare. 

“With cases higher than ever, my guilt and anxiety are back full force,” Rhiannon said. But, as she explained, “We cannot afford to not work.”

Although it has been a tough few months, there have been a few improvements. 

“We isolated ourselves from everybody for a few months. That took a mental toll on all of us,” she said. “We didn’t get a break and our fuses became kind of short. Since then it’s gotten better. We opened our circle to [the] grandparents.”

Despite everything, Rhiannon is trying to look on the bright side. 

She said, “Money is tight, but we are trying to stay positive.”