Connecticut teacher Luciana Machado Lira got an unexpected phone call that changed her life. It was the mother of one of her seven-year-old students, whom she hardly knew, telling her she was going into labor and needed her help right away. The mom asked Luciana to call her husband, who doesn’t speak English, and to come to the hospital.
When she arrived at the hospital, Luciana met the father there and learned that the mother had been diagnosed with coronavirus. Fearing the entire family would test positive for it, they asked Luciana for the biggest favor: To take their newborn son home so he wouldn’t get the virus as well. She agreed and has been caring for the baby boy for almost a month now.
Luciana posts updates on Facebook about the family’s status. They all did test positive for coronavirus and are still testing positive, but her student has now been discharged from the hospital after being in intensive care. As soon as the mom, dad, and older sibling test negative, the baby boy can go home. Until then, Luciana is happy to be taking care of him.