“It was definitely different,” said his mother Samantha Richardson. “We tried to make it fun and create a lot of memories. We still wanted to make it as normal and not sad in any way.”
Living through coronavirus: Our series about how our neighbors are living and coping
Luke’s two sisters, Madilynn, 13, and Emma, 11, hid presents throughout the house and they created a scavenger hunt to see if he could follow the clues.
“His sisters were super sweet,” Samantha Richardson said.
His parents and two sisters also sang, “Happy Birthday” and watched as he opened presents, moments that were shared on cell phones with his four grandparents. One grandmother, Barb Kilburn, made him a cookie birthday cake that she handed him through a car window.
Samantha Richardson said she hasn’t shared many details about the coronavirus with her son, a second grader at Fairfield North Elementary School. He was told he must stay home from school, perform proper hygiene and remain healthy, his mother said.
“He was really good about it,” she said.
In fact, staying home from school, not participating in sports or attending church — all regular activities for the Richardsons — have created “a lot of down time” for the family.
That, she called, “not a bad thing.”
She described the coronavirus as something, “unlike anything anyone has even seen.”
But eventually, the family hopes COVID-19 “blows over” and life returns “back to normal,” she said.
Then, she said, the family will throw another eighth birthday party this summer for Luke and his friends at the park.
“You only turn 8 once,” his mother said.
TELLING YOUR STORIES
We’re looking to profile people throughout our coverage area about how the coronavirus is impacting your daily life. If you’re interested in sharing your story about how you’re affected or adapting to the situation, call Journal-News reporter Rick McCrabb at 513-483-5216 or email rick.mccrabb@coxinc.com.
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