ZEELAND, Mich. — A Michigan grandfather has been taking extraordinary measures to see his granddaughter -- walking more than four miles to set eyes on the newborn through a glass partition.
Josh Gillett shared a photo of one of the visits of his father and daughter Elliana Rae on social media this week.
Gillett said his father, who’s not been identified, held Elliana Rae twice before Michigan went on lockdown.
“It breaks my heart that my dad can’t hold my daughter,” Gillett wrote. “However, as you can clearly see on my dad’s face, he’s overflowing with joy just to see her.”
“While my wife was pregnant, I don’t think an hour went by where my dad didn’t brag about becoming a grandpa soon,” Gillett wrote. “Now, his granddaughter is finally here, and the only things he can hold are the daily pictures we send him.”
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A “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order telling residents to isolate themselves was issued last week. The order also closed nonessential businesses and schools, WXMI reported. Then, earlier this week, a state of disaster was declared closing any remaining schools and increasing social distancing measures.
There are more than 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 417 deaths, according to The New York Times.