HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Laurie Smith is feeling the impact of the Coronavirus in one of the worst possible ways.

“Let us hold her hand, let us comb her hair, let us curl up in bed with her if she is having a bad day,” said Smith. “We just want our mom.”

Laurie’s mom is in a nursing home and is in the process of being moved into hospice care.

“I think I look more like her in this picture,” said Smith as she held a photo of her mother.

But with the spread of Coronavirus across the nation her mother’s nursing home won’t allow anyone to visit.

Older people are generally at higher risk of becoming severely ill from infectious diseases, and this has proven to be the case with Coronavirus.

“I think one of the things that breaks my heart is my mom and dad have been married almost 53 years and not even my father is allowed to go see her,” said Smith.

Because of her complications, the family can’t bring her home.

“To bring her home would be a death sentence and we are not prepared to do that,” said Smith. “So we are just kind of stuck in this area of limbo.”

Smith and her family now feel helpless as her mother can only speak with her by phone.

“I understand truly I do the overall purpose is to protect the population as a whole,” said Smith. “But to spend her final days alone without family only in the company of caregivers, who I’m sure are doing a great job, but that is no substitute you know, for family.”

Smith is now hoping she will somehow be able to spend some time with her mother.

Stay with News 2 for continuing coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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