Five years later, we reflect on all that has occurred and changed since March 4, 2020. We asked Cook Children’s employees to reflect on their experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown and how they experienced growth, loss, and change.

“His pediatrician said he didn’t look good, and she recommended we drive to the emergency room at the downtown location,” Isabel said. “Something wasn’t right with this blood work.”

Isabel, Ignacio and Matt arrived at Cook Children’s on Feb. 13, 2020. After more testing, Matt was admitted to the oncology unit. The on-call physician gave the family the devastating diagnosis of leukemia.

“She said he had probably been in some bone pain for a while, and we just didn’t know. She went on to tell us that Matt most likely had leukemia, but we didn’t know what kind yet,” Isabel said. “He had a bone marrow biopsy the next morning, and we found out which type he had. It all happened so fast.”

Matt received the formal diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on Feb. 14, five days after his fourth birthday.

“I remember we spent Valentine’s Day in the hospital cafeteria together after Matt was confirmed to have ALL and had his port placed. None of this really sank in until much later,” Ignacio said. “I still remember asking his doctor, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure this is what it is?’, and they were more than sure.”

Matt’s diagnosis already came with uncertainty and a heightened awareness for his health, but COVID-19 only heightened his parents’ worries and created more isolation.

“It’s been terrifying to go through this at all, because his ability to fight any kind of infection is depleted and his immune system is so vulnerable,” Ignacio said. “Now you have this virus that limits everyone from being out and you’re scared that you might come into contact with someone who has it, then you give Matt a hug and now he may have it too.”

Quarantine takes on a new meaning for oncology patients and their families. COVID-19 has forced parents to make difficult decisions for the safety of their families, including isolation from other patient families.

“A lot of other families that we’ve talked to who are also going through this diagnosis say they are use to the isolation, but when you add the extent of the COVID isolation to this it becomes very difficult to handle,” Ignacio said. “Things don’t seem to get any easier through this pandemic. It’s just a matter of waiting for this to pass.”

A sense of unpredictability is anticipated with a cancer diagnosis, but Ignacio and Isabel hoped for a community within the oncology floor. While they do have that with the nurses, child life specialists and staff members, they yearn for relationships with other parents who have similar experiences.

“We expected to have that camaraderie with other parents on the unit, but COVID has just made it to where we can only get that connection through social media or Zoom,” Ignacio said. “You just don’t have that right now. Matt got this diagnosis at the worst possible time with COVID.”

While many have adjusted to their new normal during the pandemic, Matt’s treatment regimen has prolonged the adjustment as he is on week 14 of 120 at the time of this article.

“Everything that we do now is trying to find that sense of normalcy for our family,” Ignacio said. “Financially finding that balance, scheduling appointments for Matt and making sure our other kids still have a life outside of Matt’s cancer diagnosis. We can’t just stop living.”

Cancer amidst COVID-19 has given the Rodriguezes a renewed outlook on placing importance on their family. Although they may feel isolated from their community, the time they spend together as a family is now more valuable than ever.

“We enjoy every moment we have with our kids. I hate COVID, but I’m thankful that I’ve been able to have them all home with me,” Isabel said. “We realize every moment that Matt is okay is important, and we’re amazed at everything he’s still able to do. We treasure those moments more than before.”

“What we are noticing is that the number of cases is ballooning over a short period of time,” said Nicholas Rister, M.D., pediatric infectious diseases physician at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

This rapid increase in COVID-19 cases is causing concern among physicians that we will see the virus spread even further, especially with the Fourth of July weekend ahead of us.

“We understood that as we re-opened Texas we would see more cases,” said Dr. Rister. “I think these numbers show that this disease spreads among all people, and that includes children.”

Ninety percent of the positive cases at Cook Children’s have been among symptomatic children. The most common signs parents should be aware of are cough, fever, mild respiratory symptoms, rash and stomach pain. More severe symptoms may require hospitalization and can progress to respiratory failure but thankfully remain uncommon in children.

At this time, the number of infected children needing hospitalization remains low, with six patients currently being treated at Cook Children’s Medical Center. But Dr. Rister says while the majority of children are able to recover on their own, some will need oxygen support and even a ventilator.

“It’s rare for a child to become so ill they need a ventilator because of the virus, but we have seen it and it’s something we want to prevent,” he said.

The ages of COVID-19 patients span from infants to 20 year olds, with no real concentration on one age group over another.

“It’s tough to say where someone gets the virus from, but big events with lots of people are a common way transmission occurs,” Dr. Rister explained. “We have seen children who we believe became infected at youth sporting events and summer camps.”

Dr. Rister says it’s important to limit your child’s exposure to large groups as much as possible, and always try to wear a mask, maintain social distance and wash your hands as much as possible.

“We know it’s hard to say all children should wear a mask, but as much as you can, it’s going to make a difference,” he said. “Every day we hear about COVID numbers on the news, but most families haven’t seen it despite how common it is. I think it’s important to remind people that the boogie man is real, this thing is out there and the precautions you are taking are very important.”

As for the Fourth of July, Dr. Rister hopes families will still find a way to celebrate while taking into consideration the risk for contracting and transmitting COVID-19.

“The question to ask yourself is ‘how many people are you going to be around and how exposed will you be?’. If you can effectively social distance, wear a mask and you’re in a smaller group, then I think those are very reasonable things to think about doing,” Dr. Rister said. “The larger group activities like being around big groups of people at pools, large cookouts, sporting events, large fireworks displays where you are close to other people; those events are what we’re worried about.”

For families trying to decide how many people to invite for Fourth of July gatherings, consider whose most at risk. If you have elderly grandparents or people who are ill, Dr. Rister advises you to be cautious.

“We’re not saying you can’t have a celebration, but we do think you need to have a real honest talk about how you can limit risks.”