HAS PUT A STRAIN ON FAMILIES
CONNECTING IN AN UP-CLOSE AND
PERSONAL WAY THESE DAYS.
A MILWAUKEE PHARMACIST HAS BEEN
ABLE TO BRING FOUR GENERATIONS
OF HER FAMILY CLOSER BY DOING
HER JOB.
"HERE AND NOW" SPECIAL PROJECTS
JOURNALISM MURV SEYMOUR HAS THE
STORY.
>> SHE WAS BORN IN ASHLAND, YOU
KNOW.
>> LYNN AND LAUREN CHARS ARE
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.
>> MY MOM IS SOMEONE WHO I'M
VERY CLOSE WITH.
>> WITH A PICTURE PERFECT
RELATIONSHIP.
>> SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET US
CONFUSED BECAUSE OUR NAMES BOTH
START WITH L.
WE KIND OF LOOK ALIKE.
>> MY DAUGHTER IS A PHARMACIST
FOR CVS.
SHE'S BEEN DOING THAT FOR ONE
YEAR.
>> BECAUSE OF COVID-19...
>> HER GRADUATION WAS PLACED ON
HOLD.
>> IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO GET ME
THROUGH THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM.
I'M AN ONLY CHILD, BUT I DO HAVE
A LARGE EXTENDED FAMILY,
INCLUDING MY GRANDMOTHER.
>> FROM A PICNIC TABLE AT A
DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE PARK.
>> THIS IS FOR PACKER PARTY.
>> MOM AND DAUGHTER CYST THROUGH -- SIFT THROUGH
PHOTOS.
>> WE ADORE HER.
SHE'S A STRONG LEADER AND BUILT
A FOUNDATION FOR A WONDERFUL
FAMILY.
I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY
WITHOUT HER.
>> FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, SHE'S
BEEN LIVING IN A NURSING HOME,
THE SAME ONE WHERE LAUREN'S MOM
WORKS AS A SPEECH THERAPIST?
>> WE USED TO VISIT HER EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
>> BEFORE COVID-19, GRANDMA
CLARE HAD PRENTY OF VISITS.
>> SHE WAS ABLE TO COME INTO THE
BUILDING AT THAT TIME PRIOR TO
THE PANDEMIC.
>> DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEY'VE
HAD TO LOVE CLARE FROM A
DISTANCE.
>> I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER
GETTING THE VIRUS AND MAYBE NOT
MAKING IT BECAUSE OF HER AGE.
SHE'S 87.
THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54 WEEKS
THAT WENT BY WHERE WE WEREN'T
ABLE TO VISIT HER.
>> TO EASE THE PAIN OF NOT
SEEING HER, THEY SET UP WINDOW
VISITS.
>> SOMETIMES WE HAD SOME LARGE,
BRIGHT POSTERS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
GRANDMA, HAPPY THANKSGIVING,
GRANDMA.
SHE WAS ABLE TO BE REMINDED OF
THE LOVE AROUND HER.
<!32768> IT WAS
>> IT WAS AN OPPORTUNIT TO SEE
SOMEBODY YOU HADN'T SEEN FOR A
YEAR.
>> LAUREN'S UNIQUE ROLE WOULD
GIVE HER AND HER FAMILY AN
OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT AND SEE
GRANDMA CLARE IN PERSON.
>> I TRAVEL AROUND TO CVS
LOCATIONS IN THE GREATER
MILWAUKEE AREA.
MY FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO
FILL PRESCRIPTIONS.
I ALSO NOW PARTICIPATE IN
ENHANCED SERVICES TO HELP WITH
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
I WENT TO SEVERAL NURSING HOMES.
>> CVS SET UP ON-SITE
VACCINATION CLINICS AT MORE THAN
1800 LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
IN WISCONSIN.
CLARE'S NURSING HOME WAS ONE OF
THEM.
>> I DEFINITELY LOVE GIVING
IMMUNIZATIONS.
>> A LOT OF THOSE VACCINATIONS
WERE PROVIDED AT THE HANDS OF
THIS ROOKIE PHARMACIST SOME
NICKNAMED THE VACCINATOR.
AND, YES, LAUREN PROUDLY GOT TO
DELIVER A SHOT IN THE ARM TO
MOM, GRANDMA AND THE OTHERS AT
CLARE'S NURSING HOME.
>> I WAS ABLE TO SWITCH AROUND
MY SCHEDULE WITH THE HELP OF
SOME OF MY SUPERVISOR AND
COLLEAGUES TO BE THERE AT THE
SPECIFIC NURSING HOME WHERE MY
MOTHER WORKS AND MY GRANDMOTHER
LIVES.
I KNOW THAT SO MANY FOLKS IN
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES ARE
REALLY STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW FROM
NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THEIR
LOVED ONES.
>>>> SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN,
LAUREN'S MOM SAYS...
>> I THINK OF WORDS THAT BEGIN
WITH C.
COMMUNICATION WAS NUMBER ONE.
THE OTHER ONE WAS COMPASSION.
THE OTHER C WORD IS CARE GIVING.
I WAS A THERAPIST, BUT I BECAME
A CAREGIVER.
THE VACCINE PROVIDED US WITH A
CURE, BUT IT PROVIDED US WITH
CONFIDENCE IN BEING ABLE TO LIVE
NORMALLY AGAIN.
>> BEING ABLE TO FINALLY GET TO
HAVE A VISIT IN PERSON WITH MY
FAMILY MEMBER IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST GIFTS.
>> THE OTHER GIFT?
A VISIT TO GRANDMA FROM THE
DOCTORAL GRADUATE GRANDDAUGHTER
JUST BEFORE HER OFFICIAL
GRADUATION CEREMONY.
>> GRANDMA CLARE WAS ABLE TO SEE
LAUREN IN HER GRADUATION GOWN
AND CAP.
SHE SAID CONGRATULATIONS,
DR. CHARS.
WHEN'S THE PARTY?
>> PRETTY SURE.
>> LAUREN CHARS.
>> IT'S ALREADY STARTED.
REPORTING FOR "HERE AND NOW,"
I'M MURV SEYMOUR.
>> DR. CHARS IS A GRADUATE OF
BUTLER UNIVERSITY IN INDIANA.
CVS TELLS US MORE THAN 77,000 OF
THE MOST VULNERABLE
WISCONSINITES RECEIVED
VACCINATIONS AT THEIR LOCATIONS.
FOR CONTINUING COVERAGE ON
COVID-19, GO TO