Being on the sidelines has never felt sweeter. Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at CentraState, Freehold resident Rose Rocha now revels in her granddaughters’ soccer games and is back to cheering them on.
“It’s wonderful watching them play again knowing that I am fully vaccinated,” says Rose. “I feel more comfortable and can see the people I love without that nagging fear of becoming seriously ill.”
Rose completed her immunization process on February 18. Aside from a few aches, she had no other side effects.
“I felt like doing a victory dance after each of my vaccinations,” says Rose, who was much more emotional than she expected during the process. In fact, she teared up at her first appointment because the weight of worry she’d been carrying for a year seemed to lift from her shoulders. She is also in awe of the enormous efforts put forth by the medical community in developing the vaccines, and experienced hometown pride in CentraState’s coordination and implementation of its vaccine program.
The liberation provided by full vaccination has made Rose appreciate the simple things, like hugging her granddaughters and the rest of her family. It’s also allowed her to feel more grounded and normal again, letting her socialize more comfortably while maintaining safety guidelines.
“I told myself I would do everything I could to protect myself, my family, and my friends,” Rose says. “As more and more people get vaccinated, I truly have hope in my heart that better days are ahead of us all.”
For more information about COVID-19 resources at CentraState, visit centrastate.com/covid-19
