Frontliner moms mark second Mother's Day since pandemic began

The viral video of a child wrapped in plastic while embracing her nurse mother was one of the defining images of the pandemic last year.

This year, the mom and her young daughter will get to celebrate Mother's Day without any physical barrier between them.

In Cedric Castillo's report on "24 Oras," nurse Marijoy Malaca said she will mark the special day with a simple family dinner at home.

"I'm happy of course because I can finally spend some time with my loved ones," she said.

Last year, Marijoy was afraid to bring home the coronavirus and possibly infect her daughter Skyler. Now, she feels more at ease with regular COVID-19 testing at the hospital where she works.

However, she could not help but still have worries after seeing the hospital already at full capacity. 

"It's already difficult to admit COVID-19 patients with us, you have to be on the waiting list. What if my baby gets the virus? How can I handle that?" she said.

Meanwhile, another frontliner mom, Marites Cuyan, will have to spend Mother's Day with her patients at the Intensive Care Unit.

She works as a nurse in Bulacan, but her family lives in Baguio City. She hasn't seen them in person since January.

"My child likes organizing surprises when she remembers to celebrate an occasion," Marites said.

"Whenever I see a mother and her children together, my child comes to mind," she added.

She said she misses her family so much, but all she can for now is to pray for their health and safety amid the pandemic.

To all the frontliner moms, thank you for your sacrifice. We salute you!

—MGP, GMA News