The Coronavirus has changed our ‘normal’ routine forever, as now we adjust to working from home, with students attending lessons online and most of us abiding to social distancing measures.

This year’s Mother’s Day is different but special for many different reasons. It’s a day to thank all those mothers out there juggling working from home and also attending to their children’s needs. To those elderly mothers who might not be able to see their children because it might be a risk for them to go outside or allow visitors. There are also mothers who are not at home celebrating with their families because they are one of the many front liners working tirelessly to ease the spread of the virus.

The Malta Independent on Sunday spoke to Dr Lina Janulova and Dr Michael Janula, mother and son who are both doctors fighting on the frontline during the pandemic and how this Mother’s Day will be a special one for both of them.

Lina Janulova is a medical administrator at Mater Dei Hospital. She had qualified as a medical doctor from the Malta Medical School in 1985 and obtained a Masters in Public Health in 1997. She was born in India, but is a naturalised Maltese. She lived in India for 17 years after which she came to Malta with her father, who had taken up a post with the Commonwealth.

She lives with her husband, who is an ophthalmologist, and her two children, one of whom is also a doctor training in surgery (Michael Janula) and the other is a lawyer. She said that since 15 March her children moved out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For me Mother’s Day is a day where a mother is expressively loved and appreciated by her children. An extra day in which society as a whole celebrates the presence of mothers, (past, present and future) and their contribution to assist the world to evolve into a better place,” she said.  She spoke about how Mother’s Day used to be celebrated until last year, which included a meal at a restaurant with her family in the afternoon and being on call for any urgent hospital administrative events.

This Mother’s Day for her will be remembered for its uniqueness, with added responsibilities every individual has to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. With this mind-set, one becomes more aware of the responsibilities “this day demands of us at a hospital setting, where the focus and priority then flows into the true nature of our profession of having immense satisfaction on making other people’s life a priority,” she said. “This brings even more delight and presence to the true meaning of Mother’s Day!”

One of her sons, Michael, recalls growing up watching his mother juggling between raising two children and working a full time job. “She taught me not to set limits for myself. Through her love for her job as a doctor, she showed me that if you love what you do, you never truly work a day in your life.”

He said that while he is concerned and worried every time she sets foot inside the hospital, he is immensely proud of her. “I know that she could never give up doing what she does, just like I couldn’t either.” Knowing that she is working alongside her son also fills her with a great sense of joy and fulfilment: “I have nurtured my son to focus his abilities and his responsibilities towards the meaningful values of the gift of life towards Mother Earth!”