EDMONDS, Wash. — The past year has been a terrible struggle for Rosemary Walters and her daughter Bryce Durst. At 95-years-old, Walters suffered a stroke in the middle of the pandemic leaving her paralyzed on one side, housebound and unable to get a vaccine at her Edmonds home.
It took several months, and a few calls from KING 5, but Wednesday, a crew from South County Fire finally came to Walters' rescue. The native of England, who survived London bombings in World War II, took her first Pfizer shot without so much as a wince.
After Walters' stroke last August, her struggles only got worse from there.
"It seems like we had been forgotten," Durst said.
At that time, Durst said despite her mother's age and condition, she wasn't able to get anyone to come to her Edmonds home to provide a COVID-19 vaccination.
She said she contacted everyone from Snohomish County to the governor looking for help.
"I told them I can't get her out of the home. I asked if there was a program that will come to the home and do this. I got nowhere."
While the stroke left Walters unable to walk or speak, she still understands everything that's going on. Before the stroke, last August, she said she wanted to survive the pandemic so she could see her beloved grandchildren again.
No one seemed able to help. But her daughter would not relent.
"It's not their loved one," Durst said. "It's mine. And being my loved one, I will do whatever it takes to get my mom the care that she needs."
The medics who delivered Walters' vaccine also provided one to Durst, who works as her mom's primary caregiver.
"I can sigh a big sigh of relief knowing that mom and I now at least have half a fighting chance of beating this," she said.
Walters smiled and laughed as the medics arm-wrestled and joked with her, as they waited to see if she would have a negative reaction to the vaccine.
It was clear that a daughter's dedication had brought some long-overdue relief.
"We're vaccinated now, baby!" Durst shouted, as her mom giggled.
With no bad side-effects evident, South County medics will return in three weeks to administer the second dose.
With that news, the grim reality of a deadly pandemic finally began to fade.
"I am 100% more hopeful that we're gonna be okay and we're gonna get through this, like we always do," said Durst, holding her mother's hand. "She's my best friend. We get through everything together, her and I."
Health officials say if you can't get your loved one to a vaccine site, start local.
Most cities and counties now have paramedics who can provide a shot. Snohomish County has set up a helpline at: 425-339-5278 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
If that fails, the Washington Department of Health has crews working in communities to fill in the gaps. The agency reports that it will post a link on its website for people who need additional support in their home to access vaccines. The state’s COVID-19 Information Hotline is at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.