Frontliner Mom Gets To Hug Daughter By Wrapping Her In Plastic: 'Miss Na Miss Ko Na Siya'

As COVID-19 is highly contagious, and there still is no known cure or vaccine for it, utmost care must be taken by everyone to keep the virus from spreading. Social distancing remains one of the most effective ways to contain the virus. This means that, aside from frequent handwashing and proper disinfection, being in close proximity to other people must be avoided.

Every day though, doctors, nurses, and other frontliners put their lives at risk as they fulfill their sworn duty of taking care of the sick. Because they come in direct contact with patients every day, many of them have opted to self-quarantine so as not to put their family members' health in danger.

For many frontliners who are also parents, this part is the most challenging, and understandably so. How could a mom or dad go for days, or — in the case of Ramona Bernardo, a registered nurse at the Nueva Ecija Doctors Hospital — a month without seeing their child?

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In a video she posted on her Facebook account on April 11, Ramona, or Mona, is shown coming home for the first time in weeks, but only for a quick visit to see her 3-year-old daughter Sky. She says she misses her so much. According to a report by GMA News, Mona last saw her child on March 15, before the community quarantine was imposed. She has not gone home from the hospital where she works since.

To make the meeting possible, Mona's daughter Sky was made to wear a piece of clear cellophane plastic that covers her entire body to make sure her skin does not come in contact with her mom's. The little girl wore a face mask for added protection, and to avoid suffocation, also carried a portable fan with her. 

On the street, Mona greeted her daughter with a big hug as soon as she came near.

"Sinupot ko na para makayakap naman. Miss na miss ka na ni mamy anak!," she captioned the video. 

When the little girl realized it was her mom before her, she tried to remove the plastic cover she was wearing, but Mona hugged her quickly to prevent her from doing so, causing Sky to cry out for her. 

Mona also excitedly picked up her child and carried her, savoring the moment before she had to go back to the hospital again and resume frontliner duties.

The meeting lasted less than 3 minutes.

Based on her Facebook posts, Mona got the idea to use cellophane from another video, which she posted on Facebook the day before. She tagged her husband's parents in it, in anticipation of her visit. 

Sky is left under the care of her grandparents when Mona goes on duty at the hospital. Based on the comments on her post, Sky's father is also a frontliner, working as a policeman in Angeles City.

"Sacrifice po talaga para sa trabaho at pamilya."  

Mona's video has gone viral since, as many netizens sympathized with her and her longing for her child. 

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