Man uses bucket truck to "visit" mom on third floor of retirement home amid coronavirus pandemic
Charley Adams usually takes his 80-year-old mom to lunch or dinner every Thursday, but during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, he can't even visit her in person – let alone take her out of her home. The 45-year-old said his mom, Julie, has been going "stir crazy" inside her assisted living facility. So, he found a creative way to "visit" her.
Julie lives at Windsor Estates Assisted Living in Ohio, which has restricted visitors due to the coronavirus, according to local publication Mahoning Matters. People over the age of 65 and those with underlying conditions are more at risk for coronavirus.
Most of the country is under social distancing or stay at home orders, but Julie was "not willing to accept 'no' for an answer," Adams told Mahoning Matters. Relatives are allowed to visit residents through a windows, so Adams decided to do just that, even though his mom lives on the third floor.
"I called and said, 'I'm right outside your window,'" said Adams. He owns a tree preservation company – and therefore, a bucket truck.
Adams got in the bucket and had the truck raise him up right to his mom's window. "I thought it would be funny — something to cheer her up a little bit," he said.
Joel Beeghly snapped a photo of Adams visiting his mom in the bucket truck. It went viral on Facebook and was submitted to Maohning Matters. Now, the photo has been seen nationwide as several publications have written about the son's devotion to his mom.
It seems Adams' mom has always been supportive of his affinity toward trucks. "She used to take me to look at trucks and equipment when I was a little boy," he said. "She always asked me how my truck's doing."
While his mom's caretakers have been diligent about keeping coronavirus out of the facility, Adams said he could tell there is a "feel of uncertainty and anxiety."
"I think she was feeling kind of nervous about stuff," he told Mahoning Matters. "She got a big kick out of [the bucket truck]… They've been locked down for two weeks."
Adams has advice for others grappling with the "new normal" that has been imposed on the world during the coronavirus pandemic. "Perseverance," he said. He said that was the symbolic name his dad, who was a sailor, gave to his boat.
"Be nice to each other. And try to cheer each other up," Adams said.
