A family in Canada came together this week to build a “hugging station” for their 95 year-old grandmother as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Becky Scharfstein-McGettigan told the Star Phoenix that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, her family has had to make some difficult decisions in order to keep her grandmother Louella MacDonald safe. Becky’s mother Marsha moved into Louella’s home to help care for her when the first wave of the pandemic hit, but the rest of the family has kept their distance from her since then. She said that this has been no easy task for the close-knit family.

“My grandma and I have always been very close,” Becky explained. “We talk on the phone often, I would go over and visit… she used to be able to babysit my son for me.”

As Christmas got closer, Becky said that she was trying to find a way to include Louella without jeopardizing her safety. That’s when she stumbled upon the concept of a “hugging station” after seeing examples on social media. This “hugging station” is essentially a frame that holds a plastic barrier with built-in sleeves allowing people to embrace through it, without actually coming in contact.

“I miss my Grandma hugs,” Becky said.

Becky’s partner Derek happens to be a carpenter, and he built a frame with foldable supports for easy storage, then lined it with thick plastic sheeting.  Becky said that the hugging station was a huge hit with Louella on Christmas Day.

“She wanted multiple hugs from everybody and she was so excited,” she said.

Becky’s 7 year-old son Sean was especially excited to hug his great-grandmother for the first time in months.

“My boy’s a hugger. Just the joy on his face and the excitement, it was the best gift,” she gushed.

Vaccines are just starting to arrive in Louella’s community, but Becky said it still feels like it will be awhile before things can go back to normal. As of now, she’s just happy that she’s found a way to share a hug with her grandmother again.

“It has been really difficult, but we’re family and you do what family needs to do to support each other,” she said.