‘Christmas isn’t cancelled, we should get our priorities right’ says MS sufferer who missed out last year

[Rob Thompson]

‘Christmas isn’t cancelled, we should get our priorities right’ says MS sufferer who missed out last year

Source - I News

By - Aasma Day

Date - 16-10-2021

When Dawn Pick hears people fretting about potential festive food shortages and “Christmas being cancelled”, it makes her seethe and she asks: “Does it seriously matter what we eat after everything people have been through with Covid?”

 

The 47-year-old married mum-of-two, who lives in North Wales, but has family in Nottingham, England, told i the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns and different rules and restrictions at different times meant they didn’t see family members for around 12 months.

Dawn Pick, 47, says she doesn't care about potential festive food shortages and would happily eat toad-in-the-hole on Christmas Day as long as she can get together with all the family they missed out on seeing last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic (Photo: Dawn Pick)
Dawn Pick, 47, says she doesn’t care about potential festive food shortages and would happily eat toad-in-the-hole on Christmas Day as long as she can get together with all the family they missed out on seeing last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dawn with her husband Martin 
“With us being in Wales and both sets of parents living in England, the restrictions and lockdowns were different and whenever we were in lockdown, they weren’t and vice versa so we did not really get to see our families for a good 12 months or so.

“Christmas in particular was fraught as we usually have one of our parents round every Christmas and we had planned to have our husband Martin’s parents over. Then we go down to Nottingham to see whichever set of parents we didn’t see and meet up with family down there and have a mini Christmas.

“But on the same day that Boris Johnson announced that he was scrapping plans for the five days of Christmas celebrations, Wales announced that as of midnight that night, we would be going back into lockdown.”

Mrs Pick described how her husband rushed to Nottingham leaving Wales at 6:30pm and returning at 11:30pm before the lockdown rules came into force and managed to drop off Christmas presents to family by handing them over outside.

Like many families unable to spend Christmas with other households due to the curtailed rules in response to the fast spreading strain of coronavirus, the Pick family had a very different, smaller Christmas.

“We had been really looking forward to having Christmas with everyone. But instead, for the first time since having the children, it was just the four of us at Christmas.” said Mrs Pick, who has an 18-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son.

“Even though it was nice in some ways as there was not the usual mayhem, we really missed seeing everyone and with our parents getting older, we like to spend Christmas with them and the kids enjoy seeing them.

Dawn Pick, 47, says she doesn't care about potential festive food shortages and would happily eat toad-in-the-hole on Christmas Day as long as she can get together with all the family they missed out on seeing last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic 
Dawn Pick, 47, says she doesn’t care about potential festive food shortages and would happily eat toad-in-the-hole on Christmas Day as long as she can get together with all the family they missed out on seeing last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic 
“Christmas for us has always been two or three days when we can spend a lovely time together as a family unit and the grandparents can get to see the children.”

Retailers are warning that labour shortages on farms and food processing facilities, as well as a lack of lorry drivers to deliver items, mean that some festive foods might be more difficult to get hold of this year.

“After everything we’ve all been through over the last 18 months, is it worth all this stressing over buying food for one day?” asks Mrs Pick.

“To me, after what happened at Christmas last year with not being able to see people, if we had toad-in-the hole this year but could be with everyone, I would be happy.

“There might be a shortage of turkeys, but that’s only British turkeys – and I don’t care where my turkey comes from.

“Even if you can’t get turkey, there’s beef, gammon and lots of other meats you can have instead.

Dawn Pick says she would happily eat toad-in-the-hole for Christmas dinner as long as the family can all get together after the disappointment of last year due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions (Photo: Emma Farrer Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF)
Dawn Pick says she would happily eat toad-in-the-hole for Christmas dinner as long as the family can all get together after the disappointment of last year due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions (Photo: Emma Farrer Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF)
“I think with the way people have been hit financially, losing their jobs or being furloughed, there won’t be as much spending on presents or a big Christmas dinner this year anyway.

“I think people need to stop and look at what is important this Christmas instead of getting bogged down by all the potential festive food shortages.

“What is truly important is that the family is safe and we survived the year – which so many unfortunately didn’t.”

Mrs Pick, who was diagnosed with progressive Multiple Sclerosis six years ago, has a particular reason for Christmas being a special family time. “When I was first diagnosed, doctors didn’t know what was wrong and thought it was either MS or a brain tumour.” she explained.

“So I spent that Christmas fearing it might be my last one with the children. That and everything that has happened with coronavirus makes you realise that the fact we’re all here this Christmas is what is important.

[Rob Thompson]

2 minutes ago, Rob Thompson said:

“I think people need to stop and look at what is important this Christmas instead of getting bogged down by all the potential festive food shortages. “What is truly important is that the family is safe and we survived the year – which so many unfortunately didn’t.”.

“So I spent that Christmas fearing it might be my last one with the children. That and everything that has happened with coronavirus makes you realise that the fact we’re all here this Christmas is what is important.

Exactly right, time spent with family at Christmas is /should be the most important element of the season, not what we can eat or buy.

Toad in the hole......yum yum

Being together  

[Santa Craig Maxwell]

3 hours ago, Rob Thompson said:

not what we can eat or buy.

Agreed.  Didn't mention anything about drinks, though, there really ought to be Egg Nog

Edited October 17, 2021 by Santa Craig Maxwell

[Rob Thompson]

3 hours ago, Santa Craig Maxwell said:

Agreed.  Didn't mention anything about drinks, though, there really ought to be Egg Nog

Im more than happy with the eggs, you can have the nog  

[Santa Craig Maxwell]

16 minutes ago, Rob Thompson said:

Im more than happy with the eggs, you can have the nog  

Happy Christmas Santa Rob, now, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. (Non alcoholic in your case).