Mother's Day Reunions Highlight Importance Of Getting COVID Vaccine

DENVER (CBS4) - Mother's Day is always an important day, but this year marks a new significance for some families kept apart during the pandemic.

"We were at La Guardia and the police are trying to rush you on," Antonio Mendez said.

It was not the way Mendez might have pictured finally getting to see his mother in person after waiting 14 months. He talked to CBS4 shortly after he flew from Denver to New York City.

"Oh my mom is my role model, she was my caretaker she is the person who taught me to be the best me I could be," Mendez expressed.

His parents had emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. for better opportunities. They worked hard and instilled that ethic in their children. Both parents went on to get degrees at Columbia University, an ivy-league school. As the pandemic worsened, Mendez was extremely worried about his mother, as she is diabetic and fell into the high-risk category.

"Just even holding her hand and giving her a hug from the backseat was really special," Mendez recalled of the first time he saw his mother in months this Sunday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 587,000 people have not been able to gather this Mother's Day because of COVID-19. Some 6,500 were people from Colorado.

"It's just wonderful that Antonio, without having to worry about threatening the life of the very woman he loves, his mother, to visit her," Gov. Jared Polis told CBS4.

In Colorado, about 2 million people have been vaccinated, but Polis knows, that's not enough.

"There's a lot of the folks in the middle that are planning to get it in their minds, and they may be watching, 'Yeah, I'll probably get it...' Well, probably isn't good enough, go ahead and get it," Polis said.

It's become even easier as more locations are offering the COVID-19 vaccine with walk-up appointments, still there are some who are hesitant.

"In other places, there's no vaccine, and people are dying, and they are willing to have the vaccine," Juana Sosa-Mendez said.

Yet another reminder to get vaccinated and, to hug the person you call mom, while you still can.