Riding the wave - The COVID balancing act

Waves of fear, waves of anxiety, waves of change…COVID-19 has been more than just the waves of infections. Ceilidh Eaton Russell was riding her last wave into the final stretch of her Ph.D. research at SickKids when the most unexpected wave came crashing down. Canada and most of the world became engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic. SickKids, along with the rest of the country, was locked down – all research was suspended until further notice. 

For the next few months, Canadians would wade through the hard decisions of what was essential and what was not and of how to carry on with life while still taking measures to stop the spread of the virus. For many graduate and post-doctoral students, this meant adapting their research to new guidelines set by the University and the province. For some, it meant changing the trajectory of their research completely.

In pursuit of her Ph.D. in the Family Relations and Human Development program, Ceilidh was interviewing teenagers with cancer and their parents on how they communicate about illness, risks, and the future. Although these conversations are even more relevant now, the palpability of the risks and vulnerability were pronounced, but unfortunately, the hospital was forced to halt all "non-essential" services- including student research. It was time for Ceilidh to shift gears.

“With two young children - aged two and seven at the time - trying to imagine how to pivot my study so I could still complete it remotely while parenting full-time and working part-time was totally overwhelming,” reflected Ceilidh.  Realizing she couldn't do her research justice while trying to balance everything else, Ceilidh took a leave of absence to care for her children. Every time a COVID wave appeared to be subsiding, and as anticipation for vaccines grew, Ceilidh had new hopes of coming back to her study. But without fail, a new wave emerged, and yet another pivot back to virtual schooling. Ceilidh had to place her mommy/teacher hat back on, steady her feet and surf the wave. Eventually, the time came when COVID numbers started to settle, kids were back to school, and plans were set back in motion. 

To account for the financial burden students took on to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences established the COVID-19 Delay Assistance Program ¬– co-funded by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The program provided up to $5,500 for graduate students whose research had been affected or delayed because of the pandemic. 

“Without this award, I would have to keep working as much as I had been, which would significantly undermine my ability to focus and dive deeply into analysis and writing. Being stretched thin that way is so frustrating and disheartening.” Ceilidh reflected. 

Without the program's assistance, the mental health and well-being of countless graduate students would suffer, as would the quality of their work. For Ceilidh, it would force her to stretch her study duration and, as Ceilidh interjected, her “family's patience” over more semesters. Extending her research would mean more tuition and more debt, all of which mean less time for herself and her children. “I'm very tired of telling them I don't have time to play and feeling guilty for not spending enough time with them. And feeling guilty when I am spending time with them and not getting work done... I really don't know how much longer I'd have been able to manage that balancing act.”

These funds provide students like Ceilidh the time to focus, dive deeper and sustain the passion that they have had for their research. “I have never lacked dedication to my study or my program, but I have been running on fumes from trying to do it all. This award is taking some big pressures off so that I can focus on doing fewer things and doing them well. It is an enormous relief.”

Ceilidh speaks on behalf of all those who benefited from the award; “To everyone whose generosity made this award possible for me and my peers, thank you from the bottom of my heart and from my family. This award means that my study will be better, my mental health will be stronger, and my family will be happier. Thank you!”

…and from all of us at the College, thank you, Ceilidh and all students for your time, dedication, and passion in all that you do! 

To learn more about ways to support students like Ceilidh, please visit the Alumni Affairs and Development giving page.