With the coronavirus pandemic, a Naperville woman about to turn 94 won’t be leaving her home to celebrate her birthday, but a local realtor had no problem bringing the celebration to her with a surprise cake delivery.
“Here I am visiting my favorite 94-year-old client who’s having a birthday!” says Elizabeth Gretz with excitement as she leaves the cake and some other items on the doorstep, including paper towels, milk, and even a bottle of wine. The homeowner, a woman named Joyce, came to the door to get the delivery. “We love you too!” she says to Gretz, talking only through the glass.
COVID-19 Stats
The senior population is among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 Virus. Immunocompromised individuals are also at a greater risk but the virus can affect people across all ages and demographics. According to the World Health Organization, in the United States there have been more than 13,000 confirmed cases and 180 deaths due to coronavirus as of early March 19. Globally, those numbers exceed 190,000 confirmed cases and 7,800 deaths.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
While there has yet to be any confirmation of COVID-19 cases in Naperville, there are cases not too far in both DuPage and Will counties. Gretz and some colleagues from Coldwell Banker Real Estate are doing their part to help local families sheltering in place, delivering wipes, diapers, and paper towels (but no toilet paper) and her surprise cake delivery certainly proved to be a delight for one senior citizen. Gretz tells NCTV17 that she also agreed to walk Joyce’s dog for the next week or so. She’s one example of how ironically the community is coming together, even during times of social distancing. If you have a feel-good story of neighbors helping neighbors, please let us know.
Naperville News 17’s Kevin Machak reports.
