Laurels & lances: Bye, believe, bike
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Laurel: To a final farewell. For so many in the last year, the greatest theft of the coronavirus pandemic has been the ability to say goodbye. Maybe there was a hug in the emergency room or a last kiss when the ambulance came, but to limit the spread of covid-19 or the exposure of loved ones who had not tested positive, that was the end.
Gregory Del Duca of Harrison, as described in a story this week, got a precious opportunity for more with his mother, Josephine Ferguson of West Deer.
On a Dec. 14, as she lay in West Penn Hospital, her death from covid approaching, Del Luca made his goodbyes via iPad from his home, his wife and stepfather joining in. Not long after, as he sat stunned, his phone rang. It was the hospital, inviting him to come to the facility in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield section. He was given the rare opportunity to be with his mother as machines were turned off, and the Motown music she loved became the soundtrack for their final goodbye.
The reason those kind of endings haven’t been widely possible is understandable, but that doesn’t make it less painful. Bless the staff at West Penn for having the will to find a way.
Lance: To a dangerous mask. It is important that people understand the agencies they can trust when it comes to the news. A Spotlight PA report has detailed growth of sites that threaten that ability.
It is a partisan problem, but not tied to one party. Both Democratic and Republican groups are developing a growing digital presence that traffics in false content, unidentified opinion over fact and unshared connections.
The Pennsylvania News Trust Report by nonpartisan organization NewsGuard says 70% of Pennsylvania local news providers are “highly credible,” a high of 30% are “highly slanted” but masquerading as their more reputable counterparts.
That makes it all the more important for consumers to ask critical questions about the sources shared on social media.
Laurel: To going for a ride. The freedom of a bike is the kind of thing so many kids embrace. The ability to hop on those wheels and hit the pavement. The feel of the zipping breeze.
But not every kid gets that opportunity. For those with some special needs, a bike isn’t an option. Or hasn’t been.
On Tuesday, Variety the Children’s Charity gave five adaptive bikes and three strollers to Westmoreland County families whose kids have special challenges.
“It means everything,” said New Kensington mom Brittany Mack, whose son Amiyr, 11, deals with cerebral palsy. “When his cousins come over, he can now ride his bike with them. He can ride it in the house with no issues.”
That kind of connection to others and a way to engage positively with a common childhood activity is a priceless gift.