BUFFALO, N.Y. — For people who have health conditions putting them at higher risk for COVID-19, leaving the house to grocery shop or even go for a walk can be nerve-wrecking.
Kelsey Stuhler of Amherst knows that well. Her mom, Paula, has asthma, and her fiance, Sean, has Crohn's disease. Throughout the pandemic, simple tasks like going shopping have been stressful for her, because she worries about bringing something home to her loved ones.
That's how Kelsey and her mom came up with the idea for "respect my distance" pins. The pins identify the wearer as high-risk, and remind people in public not to get too close. Their hope is that people who are high-risk wear them, they'll feel more comfortable going out, especially as the region re-opens and things start to go back to "normal."
"I hope that we're able to help some people," Kelsey told 2 On Your Side. "I can't imagine that we're alone in feeling this way, going out and, being nervous to grocery shop, and hold my breath in the line at Home Depot. So, hopefully people respond to this well and that they understand our mission behind it."
The pins are for sale in packs of 5 for $25. Kelsey and her mom are donating the profits to Roswell Park's COVID-19 Response Fund.
You can purchase your "Respect My Distance" pins at this link.
You can learn more about Roswell's COVID-19 Response Fund here.