Leanne Williams is a mum of two and just wanted to say a big thank you to school staff for looking after her children during the year.
On the surface it may not seem that remarkable, but she and her husband are both healthcare workers and well know the sacrifices that have been made.
And despite their own busy lives in a remarkable year, Leanne wanted to pay her own tribute to the efforts of school staff close to home in Llanelli and across Wales.
In doing so, she backed up the thoughts of children and some famous faces in a series of ‘thank you’ videos coordinated by the Education Consortia.
Put simply, without outside help when schools shut because of the pandemic, Leanne would not have been able to fulfil her duties as a lung cancer nurse in Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, while her husband Aled continued his work as a renal doctor at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital.
She would have had to stay at home to look after six year-old Oliver and Ella, aged three. But as children of key workers, they were able to go to hubs at Bryn School, Bryn, and Camau Tirion in Llwynhendy respectively.
Leanne was grateful for the support of staff there.
“To be fair to them, they took a big risk going in, looking after key workers' children, knowing that the risks of them contracting Covid were just as high as us within the hospitals,” she said.
“Without them going into the schools, providing care for our children, there wouldn't have been any way that the both of us would have been able to remain in work. It would have been my husband in work and I would have had to remain home with the children.”
It was a scenario repeated across Wales, and one which allowed health care at greater levels than would have existed otherwise.
“When the schools shut, technically their duty of care for the children should have finished then,” said Leannne. “They all have their own families to be concerned about, to care for.
“But that wasn't even a question to them. They were coming in and looking after other people’s children when they have their own. There is no way of thanking them that would ever be enough.”
