Welcome to Spring! The world is filling with optimism and hope that we will soon be living without Coronavirus dominating our thoughts and actions. But remember, we are not quite out of the woods yet, and I hope all of you will remain safe and get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Thirteen Village members and friends contracted Covid--ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s---and all have successfully recovered. This month, we share stories about two Covid survivors from within the Village community along with some advice from a great Olympic champion on how to keep going when you hit the wall.

The experience of living through the pandemic has made us all more aware of how important our health is. The Village continues to present leading experts, hands on activities, and educational resources to help you be healthy and stay that way – along with all the encouragement you need to take part. Click here to browse our event calendar for upcoming activities.

Warm Regards,

Darcy Evon, CEO

These are the personal stories of a Village member and a Village staff member who both had Covid.

The question always is: so where did you get it?

I was so hoping that 2021 would be a better year. Instead, something happened in the Capitol on January 6 and after a feverish night I tested positive for Covid on the 9th. I had been wearing a mask around my family since admitting my mom into Northwestern for three days via the emergency department, where a guy sat 10 feet away from us in the waiting room coughing into his sleeve. I stopped wearing the mask at home nine days later and the next night the symptoms of Covid started. Fortunately, no one else in the house became infected.

I was sequestered on the kids’ floor with two bedrooms and a bathroom. My personal chef, dog walker and valet* carried down an end table to block my access to the rest of the house. Every morning a pitcher of diluted Gatorade would appear on the table along with breakfast; repeat for lunch and dinner. When asked, the valet would provide a clean outfit as well. Occasionally, when the dogs were being walked I would sneak into the kitchen and grab something, sanitizing everything I touched with a Clorox wipe.

It is weird how much you miss access to the wider world and how one fixates on meals when there is nothing else to think about. I now understand why the dog starts barking at 5:45 PM to remind us that dinner should be on the floor by 6 PM.

I am fortunate that I got the monoclonal antibody infusion, an experimental three hour process which is supposed to lessen the symptoms of Covid and speed recovery. It was rough the day after the treatment, but smooth sailing from then on. I was able to restart running the week after I cleared the quarantine (which is better than my 26-year-old son, who still struggles after having the virus). I do have very mild lingering effects, but nothing like others I know.

As for 2021, it has not been good so far, but I am encouraged by the sun coming out regularly after two months of gray skies.

Lessons learned:

Jen Hurd was three days away from her first vaccination when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Now, with the worst of that illness behind her, she has emerged with a fresh appreciation for the support from loved ones, friends, and co-workers, all of whom rallied during those difficult days. And she’s gained a renewed gratitude for something too-often taken for granted – basic mobility.

Jen, married mother of two and a staff member at both The Village and a local hospice organization, was never hospitalized by the illness and never suffered its more severe symptoms, such as extreme pain or breathlessness.

On January 11 she began experiencing symptoms -- what she calls extreme fatigue. “Each day,” she said, “I became increasingly tired.” On January 15 she received a positive COVID diagnosis and found herself bed-bound, sleeping 15 to 16 hours a day.

Her daughters Amryn, 10, and Rowan, 12, were anxious and afraid, and often in tears over their mom’s illness, but they and her husband Alex were always there to lend support and a helping hand, as were her friends.

Since June, Jen has been manager of The Village’s Brain Health/Memory Loss program. She has always believed co-workers would be supportive in times of illness, and her belief was proven true when staff at The Village delivered a box full of immune-boosting smoothies that wonderfully meshed with her personal diet.

After about two weeks her symptoms eased, and she began feeling better. On the outside she appeared fine, but was still suffering from some of COVID’s residual symptoms, particularly a ringing in her ears and what she described as “brain fog.”

Despite those issues, Jen says she’s grateful her illness was not even more severe. She looks forward to her postponed vaccinations, urging everyone to get their shots and to, “be diligent about your health and continue to take safety measures.”

A new study (click here) suggests an important community resource for fighting the pandemic is the network of relationships within a community (called social capital by the researchers) According to the study, counties where people trust each other more, feel more connected, and care for each other more have lower infection rates and fewer deaths from COVID.

“The end of the coronavirus pandemic is on the horizon at last, but the timeline for actually getting there feels like it shifts daily, with updates about viral variants, vaccine logistics, and other important variables seeming to push back the finish line or scoot it forward. When will we be able to finally live our lives again?” Click here to read more.

We've shared a lot of information lately about how to recognize scams and other forms of chicanery on the phone and online. But here’s a tip on how to tell when someone is lying to your face: apparently, liars unconsciously coordinate their movements to their listener and the more difficult the lie, the more the coordination occurs. Click here to read more.

While it’s not quite time to pack up and head to O’Hare, the process of thinking about, and planning for a big trip — even one that's months away — can make you happier says happiness researcher Amit Kumar, University of Texas at Austin. "It gives you more time to imagine what you might do and increases the amount of time you can spend positively looking forward to your future consumption." Click here to read more.

The world's first mental health gym takes a fitness approach to emotional wellness by creating the mental equivalent of a physical fitness studio. It enables consumers to maintain their own emotional well-being, and also provides a space for people to connect as a community. Click here to read more.

On March 10, the Village Future of Work team presented Mitigating Climate Change and Its Impact on the Future of Work (view the recording here) featuring guest speaker Dr. Rao Kotamarthi, Chief Scientist & Department Head for Argonne National Laboratory’s Atmospheric Science and Climate Research Group who has nearly 30 years of experience in climate research. Dr. Kotamarthi discussed how innovations and President Biden’s plan should mitigate climate change and impact the future of work. He also shared what jobs these initiatives might create and/or eliminate, how future jobs may change and what we as individuals can do to help.

To view this presentation or forward to friends, families, and colleagues copy and paste this link: https://vimeo.com/524933212

Spearheaded by Village members Judith Gethner and Dick Sullivan, the Racism Action Initiative is seeking individuals who want to take increased personal action and make a greater difference in bridging the racial gap in the Chicagoland community. For more information email Dick Sullivan at rwsull@aol.com

Several Chicagoland Villages are collaborating to provide quarterly seminars that educate, bring awareness, and highlight the exceptional work being done on brain and body health at leading dementia research centers. Participating Villages include Chicago Hyde Park Village, South Loop Village, Skyline Village, and The Village Chicago. The first event in the series will focus on communication.

A diagnosis of dementia shouldn’t diminish your relationship with those you love. Learning new ways to communicate can help to deepen your connection and create positive engagement. Dr. Angela Roberts, Assistant Professor at Northwestern in the Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will talk about:

Angela Roberts’ interest lies in language and acquired cognitive-communication disorders in adults with neurodegenerative disorders. Roberts’ has had a clinical career as a speech-language pathologist, spanning over 20 years in the U.S. and Canada.

Congrats to Village members David Baker, Michele Baldwin, and David Hiller for being part of the newest cohort of Ageless Innovators, Chicago’s first multigenerational co-mentoring program established by The Village Chicago and Chicago Innovation. Thanks to the generous support of the RRF Foundation for Aging, we are able to offer the newest cohort of co-mentors a Village membership. Please join us in welcoming this amazing group of Ageless Innovators to our community.

This report will fill you in on all the Village accomplished in 2020 and, with thanks and gratitude, lists the sponsors and donors who supported us so generously.

To view a PDF of the Annual Report, click here!

Learn more about the Village by calling us at 773.248.8700 or click here to download the membership application form.

2502 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60614. 773.248.8700