Sofia Bernardo, 13 I was scared and confused: school was cancelled because of a virus and it felt like all my hard work was going down the drain. In March 2020, I was in science class at school working with my small group on a climate change friendly building design for our school’s open house, which was scheduled to take place the following week. Just when our project was about ready to show at the open house, we had to suddenly go home and shelter in place. We never got to finish that project. It was a really hard day. I want vaccines for children to be tested and approved so we can get back to school and see friends and family. It’s been clear that the best memories don’t happen via zoom or apart, they happen when we are together. It makes us realize we take our schooling, friends and our family’s presence for granted. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of this pandemic. Although I like spending time by myself sometimes, I miss my friends. The presence of another human body near me. I miss sleepovers, playdates, parties, celebrating the birth of a new cousin and weddings. I hope for a day when we can all go back to school, and I can actually meet my teachers in person, walk to my classrooms and sit down and be able to work on a project with a partner and feel safe. I’m proud of those who’ve done their part in the Pandemic, including social distancing, wearing masks, staying home if they feel sick and being really flexible in a tough year. I am grateful for the essential workers and first responders. My cousin worked as an ICU nurse with Covid patients early in the pandemic. She and her friends are real heroes. In a way participating in the clinical trial is identical to a Random Act of Kindness. Because in a Random Acts of Kindness the small acts alone aren’t a big deal, but when you share them and inspire others to join you they can make a big impact on the world. This is similar to being a clinical trial participant, because in the trials they need over 3,000 kids. You can put a label on which age group data is more important, but at the end of the day, it’s each individual person in the study that is valuable, because they actually make a difference contributing to our world, whether they are 11 or 40. I want to do my part to help end the Pandemic by participating in a clinical trial for a covid vaccine – that’s my Random Act of Kindness. My Experience in the Clinic Ironically, in our science class we are learning about the science behind the mRNA vaccines. I am very fortunate to know the science of what is being injected into my body. And it’s very fascinating to me how the cells react, specifically to the vaccine. The mRNA protein directs cells to produce the virus spike protein, provoking an immune response to that unknown protein. The body has to get used to this spike protein in order to know what to do if it encounters it in the future. My parents found out about the trial and asked me if I wanted to participate. They gave me the choice, and I said, yes! The first visit was long – it was over four hours. They asked me lots of questions, took blood samples and ran other medical tests. After the first shot my arm got sore after the first three hours and it swelled up about 2cm. My arm felt like it was dead by night time, but it wasn’t so painful that I needed Tylenol. There were surveys I had to fill out every day for data collection —the injection site, temperature and general health. After a few days my arm felt perfectly normal and I could exercise and have fun again. The second visit was exciting and scary. Scary because I heard that people got more side effects after the second shot. I answered lots of questions, underwent a few tests and received another shot. I had the same very sore arm and a low grade 99.5 fever later that night. I took two naps the next day. I felt back to normal after just a few days and could move my arm around. I’m looking forward to spending time with my grandma and seeing my friends. Honestly, I’m glad that I did it. It feels good to contribute to science and to humanity. All the kids in this study did one big random act of kindness—taking a personal risk to help others. I’m glad to be a part of ending the pandemic. There are about one billion adolescents on the planet according to UNICEF. I hope by participating in the trial that kids like me will be able to see their grandparents and friends again and go to school safely.
COVID-19
Life Now, digital artwork by Mihika, 12
Mihika Sarkar Omachi, 12 (San Francisco, CA) Artist’s Note: This digital art is a human-shaped fishbowl. Fishbowls are like a cage because the fish can’t go anywhere, but they also protect the fish by keeping them in water. This is like shelter-in-place because we are all separated from each other, but also we are always at home where we can be observed like fish in a fishbowl.
My Covid Birthday
“Prisha! Pack your bag! We are going to the beach for your birthday!” My mom declares. It was true, my 8th birthday was coming up. I am always super excited for my birthday and wait for it all year long. This year, however, I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t meet my friends and celebrate with them due to Covid. So, when I heard we were going to the beach, I was SOOO excited! “Okay! I will!” I say, and take my luggage. My luggage is light brown, and has a car, blue and orange. In my luggage, I pack a LOT of books. I would guess about 20! And “Zoom!” A few days later, we headed to the beach. Tomorrow is my birthday! Finally, the 2-hour drive to the beach is over. We arrived at the beach. Aloha Beach! I can’t tell you how much I love beaches. I absolutely adore them. The beach sand was soft, almost like feathers, and relaxingly hot. The waves were the complete opposite, cold as a freezer. And the color. The sand was a yellowish gold, and the waves, more like a skyish blue. We stayed over for the sunset which is one of my most favorite activities to do on a beach – watching the sunset. The sunset was pink, red-orange and gold, and beautiful. It blazed across the sky. I am always spellbound by the beauty of sunset. I wish I could paint like that on a canvas. We walked along the beach, and lots of logs were there. But I didn’t mind. I was too excited. My birthday is tomorrow! Hours later… I open my eyes. TODAY is MY birthday. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear…..” My parents sang the happy birthday song. Aloha day! Everywhere, there were decorations, and balloons. There was a banner that said 8 on it! My parents must have been awake all night, decorating for me! “Thank you!” I responded with a big smile. I gave my Mom and Dad a hug and peeked out to the terrace. It was indeed a gorgeous day. The sun was out and the waves were waving hello to me My ordered breakfast arrived. It was pancakes! I love them! I quickly ate them, and then we went to the Prehistoric Museum. The museum had a fossil area, a geode center, a crystal center, and the bones of ancient animals. It had lots of meteorites and petrified wood as well. There was a huge dinosaur skeleton near the entrance. When we reached the geode center, my dad said I could choose any birthday gift for myself from the museum shop if I wanted. I happily decided to get a Geode and to my surprise the cashier said I can crack it myself! In the geode center, there was a basket of geodes! SOOO many! I picked one, and went to a cracking machine. I put the rock-like geode in the machine, and pulled the lever-thingy and “Crack!” The geode cracked. Inside was a whole new world. Outside, it just looked like a plain rock, the kind you would think is just a normal rock and kick it aside. But however, tiny, black, and as pretty as a picture, crystals lay on the inside. It was so beautiful and dazzling inside and when the light fell into these crystals, they were shining bright. It looked like a galaxy of stars was inside the geode. And I’d say THAT is how geodes are related to us, humans. Some people, on the outside, may not look so good, like a geode. But, on the inside, they are beautiful, and they rock! After the geode experience, we had lunch. Fish and chips with my favorite clam chowder! On the way to our hotel, we got some campfire equipment and headed to the beach! A few hours later, we set up the campfire on the beach. But we couldn’t because it was too windy. Then I remembered a place in our hotel, where a fire pit was already lit! We went there, and no one was there! A whole place to ourselves! We opened the marshmallows and toasted them. My mom and dad taught me how to make s’mores with them! Even though I could not celebrate this birthday with my friends, I still had a memorable one. This shows that people should try to make the most of every moment even if it seems you can’t. I also learnt a very important lesson that just like a geode, no matter how people look on the outside, they are beautiful on the inside and we should try to look into it. I really enjoyed my birthday! It rocked!
