Raising a baby is difficult enough, but one P.E.I. mother is doing it with the added challenges of the coronavirus outbreak and limited work.

Kayla Falls grew up on Prince Edward Island but moved to China with her sister in the winter of 2014 to teach English. About a year and a half ago, she married her husband, who is from China.

Falls and her family live in Guangzhou, near Hong Kong, a city of about 13 million people. Because of the outbreak that has killed more than 2,600 people in China, she, her husband Yong Jia Kun and their daughter have been isolated at home for about two months.

"The baby has not been out at all since before the Lunar New Year, which is a shame for her," Falls said on the phone from her home in China.

"Sometimes it breaks my heart that I can't give her more space, that we can't go outside to a park or even down to the sidewalks."

However, Falls said she is enjoying the extra time with her daughter.

Falls says officials are checking people's temperatures in public places, like at this roadblock in Guangzhou, China, two weeks ago. (ALEX PLAVEVSKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Usually her husband goes alone to purchase supplies, but Falls worries about him because the coronavirus affects the respiratory system and he has COPD, a type of obstructive lung disease.

"It's been really concerning every time he does have to go out," she said.

She said the rules where she lives are that everyone has to wear masks in public spaces but "masks are absolutely impossible to come by."

"My family and friends back home have been very generous. They collected from Alberta, from Ontario, from P.E.I., and they sent them in the mail, so thankfully we do have enough now," Falls said.

Officials are taking people's temperatures in public places such as the supermarket, Falls said, adding residents in the family's building are required to register when they come and go.

No work due to outbreak

It isn't just the fear of contracting coronavirus that has Falls worried — it's money.

Falls' husband Yong Jia Kun holds their daughter. (Kayla Falls)

She was on maternity leave, but that finished in September. She did have a new job lined up for February as a kindergarten teacher — but that didn't happen because of the outbreak. The kindergarten was closed.

"Not having my income since September has been hard on us," she said.

Her husband works as a dental assistant. His work shut down for the Lunar New Year and hasn't reopened due to the outbreak.

"Because he is a dentist working in people's mouths … it will probably be a long time before he is able to open and go back to work," she said.

That left the family worrying about income while trying to raise a baby in the midst of the outbreak.

'I was floored'

Falls set up an online GoFundMe campaign and said was able to reach her goal of $2,000. She said she now has enough money for groceries, rent and to provide for her daughter for two months.

Falls says she was able to raise enough money to support herself, her husband and their daughter for two months. (Kayla Falls)

"It was overwhelming — I was floored by all the love and support," Falls said. "I was struggling over here with my family and they saw that, and they just did everything they could to help."

Some of donors were not comfortable sending cash through the online platform, she said, opting to send her the money personally — so although she achieved her goal the online fundraiser might not reflect that accurately.

She said when news initially broke of the outbreak she was nervous.

"I was scared," she said. "With my daughter being only 10 months old, I was worried that her immune system wasn't developed enough if anything happened with her."

However, she is feeling optimistic the situation will improve.

"They're doing so much to contain it. It looks like things are going in the right direction," she said.

"The important thing is my family is together."

Homecoming plans

Falls, her husband and their daughter were planning on leaving China in a few years and move to Prince Edward Island before the outbreak — now they are planning to fast track that move.

Falls, right, poses with her daughter and her sister Rachel Falls. Falls says the she is hoping to return to Canada this summer. (Kayla Falls)

"Talking to my parents back home, they are willing to help us out to buy our tickets to come home. It's a big deal to my husband who has never lived outside China before," she said.

"It's looking like the middle of May we are going to try and come home if it is safe to fly with our 10-month-old."

Flights from China to Canada are limited. Tuesday Air Canada announced flights to China are cancelled until April.

However, Falls remains optimistic.

"I think we will probably be able to get out alright," she said.

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