after gab morin’s grandfather died from complications of
covid-19
last year, the high-school student and his family were determined to do their part to help end the pandemic.
“we all want to be part of the solution,” the 16-year-old student said in an interview. “we want to get this horrible thing over with.”
so every saturday, morin spends four hours volunteering at the
vaccination centre
at the bob birnie arena in pointe claire.
like hundreds of other montrealers who have volunteered their time, morin greets patients, reminds them to disinfect their hands, helps those with reduced mobility and shows them how to register before getting inoculated.
his older brother, olivier, takes care of elderly patients at ste. anne’s hospital on the weekend and his mother works as a vaccinator.
“the more hands on deck the better, said morin, a secondary iv student at royal west academy who talked some friends into volunteering as well. “helping out always feels good.”
morin’s mother, clotilide francis, said the death of her 86-year-old father, bahgat francis, at the end of the pandemic’s first wave, motivated her family to find ways to help out.
when the quebec government asked veterinarians to help vaccinate the public, she signed up for a weekend shift.