Fran Goldman told CNN she’s been trying to get an appointment since they’s available in Washington. She said she and her daughter, Ruth, would try several times a day without success. Goldman finally finds a place in the children’s hospital for Sunday, February 14th.
But there was a possible problem.
“There was a forecast of snow and some clinics postponed their clinics until later in the week,” Goldman said.
“On Saturday I wake up and there is a good snowfall of 6 to 8 centimeters on the ground, and I keep seeing if the clinic I am going to is still open and I hear nothing.”
Goldman therefore began planning how she would make her appointment three miles further, taking into account the conditions. Her steep road was not plowed, and several cars tried unsuccessfully to climb. So she knew Uber or management was out of the question.
“I finally got a spot; I wanted to keep it,” Goldman said. “On a snowy Sunday, the bus is not going to have a very good timetable, so I decided, ‘Well, I’ll walk. ‘
During the pandemic, Goldman said she used walking as a handling mechanism, and three miles was not that far for her.
Since her normal walks are usually not in the snow, Goldman decided to go two-thirds of the way to see if the hike was possible and how long it would take. Goldman decided she could pick it up in about an hour.
The vaccination was important for two reasons
“Sunday morning I’m out of here – my appointment was at 9:10. I leave a little after 8am, and it took me an hour and five minutes,” she said.
Goldman said the walk was nice and quiet. On part of her journey, she was the only person on a bike trail covered with pristine snow.
When she got to the hospital, she went to look inside, successfully got her first shot and immediately walked back home.
For Goldman, walking felt somewhat inconspicuous, but for two important reasons, she was determined to get her vaccination.
“I personally feel more comfortable being outside and being able to do my own shopping, which I miss, and spend more time with my family and friends,” Goldman said. “As a citizen, I think it’s important for all of us to create immunity so that we can live again as it was or as close to it as we can.”