
Her name was Katalin. She was my great-grandmother…the mom of my grandfather, Gabriel, who was born in a remote little village in Hungary in 1902. She was one of eleven children, in a family where only two survived….Katalin and her brother Stephen, likely because of common childhood illnesses . My great-grandmother was likely in her twenties when this family portrait was taken….my grandpa is the little boy in the dress, (holding dad’s hand), when he was about two. My grandfather survived the 1918 pandemic. He was 16. He told us the story over and over again….about the Spanish flu, which found them, even in their remote little village . He told us how courageous and caring his mom, Katalin was , as she cared for all the sick in their village. She was young, healthy and compassionate. As the threat was beginning to lessen, Katalin became ill with the Spanish flu….she died in three days. She was in her thirties. She was a Mom and a caregiver. I appreciate this story more today than I did when I was small. Show appreciation to the caregivers who are working on the front lines today to keep our loved ones safe and well . They are at risk every day.