A retired couple married 68 years was among about 100 seniors who eagerly received a COVID-19 vaccine Friday at their Foysyth County senior village.
Easton and Lila Wall say they are adapted to quarantine life in their cottage at Belmont Village Senior Living Johns Creek. A week after the nationwide shutdown in March, Easton Wall celebrated his 90th birthday from the cottage front porch, waving to family.
For Christmas, their daughter Tia Lynn decorated their porch. The couple, who spent most of their lives in Texas, say they are now accustomed to virtual social gatherings and Telemed doctor’s visits.
Even without physical contact, Lila Wall said it’s comforting to have Lynn and her husband nearby. “They come over and we stand outside and we talk (from a distance),” Lila said. “And we talk on the phone a lot.”
The pleasure of reading the Wall Street Journal cover to cover daily, has been a “lifesaver,” Easton Wall said. And Lila said she’s content if she has needlepoint or jigsaw puzzles to work on.
All things considered, quarantine life with each other is relatively stress-free, the couple agreed as they joined nearly 100 residents of Belmont Village getting the first dose of Pfizer’s vaccine on Friday morning.
“We feel pretty good about it,” Easton Wall said. “We both grew up with the polio threat and other experiences.”
The retirement community located in Forsyth County is aligned with President Joe Biden’s goal to vaccinate 100 million people in the first 100 days of his new administration.
Belmont Village founder and CEO Patricia Will said 97 percent of residents at all their properties have opted to take the vaccine. Belmont has 30 locations across the U.S including two in metro Atlanta, as well as one in Mexico.
Georgia’s 1.5 million seniors over age 65 have had difficulty registering for vaccinations. The state is running behind on its vaccination numbers. Only 591,438 doses have been administered to Georgians while the state has received nearly double the amount, according to state data.
Belmont Village Executive Director Jan Boatright said only three residents have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Forsyth County village during the pandemic. They were asymptomatic and there have been no deaths from the disease, she said.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
The seniors have shown characteristic resilience in the face of the pandemic, Boatright said.
“This is the generation that has lived through other wars, pandemics and other crises,” The CEO said. “The attitude that they are willing to go through this in the face of not being able to go to church or synagogue or hug family is amazing. Those are all of the things that when you live to your 90s are important to you.”
Easton Wall, a retired school district superintendent, said that he’s been keeping track of the number of new cases of COVID-19 and was surprised a vaccine has been produced so quickly. Understanding the present need for remote learning he said, “As a former school administrator, I’m disappointed the schools have had to stay closed this long.”
Lila Wall, 92, is also a retired educator. The two met at their alma mater now called West Texas A&M University. They barely knew each other when Easton was among a small group of students who hopped in a car driven by Lila, their daughter said.
“She got stopped for speeding,” Lynn said. “Mom was known for her lead foot.” Lynn said her father, who was in the passenger seat, quickly changed places with Lila, scooting to the driver’s side to be ticketed in her place.
The couple moved to metro Atlanta eight years ago to be closer to Lynn and have lived at Belmont Village since 2016. Despite living nearby, Lynn says the lack of physical contact with her parents has been personally difficult.
“Not being able to hug them just tears you apart,” Lynn said. “I just feel like there’s this emptiness. There is such a physical void. My mother in particular gives the best hugs in the world. She is a hugger and a hand holder.”
