Coronavirus lockdown: I got a life-changing opportunity

Ana's siblingsImage copyright
Ana Carmona

When six people share a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, lockdown is especially hard. But some big news has given one teenager hope.

Hello everyone, my name is Ana Carmona. I am 18 years old, and I live in the Bronx.

2 April: I live with my parents, my little brother Bernie, 12, my little sister Alexandra, 16, and my older sister who is 22. Both of my parents and my older sister are undocumented.

My sisters and I all share one bedroom, and my brother and parents sleep in the living room, plus there’s a kitchen. My brother says my bed is his favourite, so he’s always hanging out with us!

Ana's father watches news with her brotherImage copyright
Ana Carmona

10 April: Both my father and Bernie like to watch the news in Spanish to stay informed. Here, they are watching a report about two priests in the Brooklyn diocese who have died from coronavirus.

Regardless of age, gender, status, or the colour of your skin, this virus does not discriminate. But underprivileged communities like mine do not get the resources they need to prevent Covid-19 from taking over neighbourhoods.

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Watch Ana’s video diary

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Media caption I think that the universe knows what it has in store for me

We asked three young Americans to chronicle their very different experiences of the pandemic.

Read about Maddie below, a 22-year old student living in Ohio, and we’ll also hear from Miguel, 21, who lives in San Francisco.

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11 April: Quarantine has taken a toll on people including myself. Today I got to go grocery shopping and to feel a little better, I grabbed the one product of makeup I haven’t touched once since being quarantined. Putting on makeup made me feel a sense of fulfilment and a sense of home.

Ana puts on makeupImage copyright
Ana Carmona

My older sister was the only one working in the household prior to us being quarantined. Now that she is no longer working due to the virus, there is no money coming in. That makes it very stressful for my family, because we don’t know when we’re going to have our next meal, or we don’t know what’s going to happen when we have to pay certain bills, such as rent, electricity, things like that.

Grocery shopping during a pandemicImage copyright
Ana Carmona

My family stocks up on food for the weeks to come. The supermarket near our home usually has overpriced items so we take advantage of going to Food Bazaar where food items are less expensive. We stood in line for an hour and when we finally got in, we had to hurry because others had to shop as well. Behind us, a father takes off his coat and gives it to his baby to guard against the chilly weather.

Ambulance outside Ana's apartmentImage copyright
Ana Carmona

It’s hard to concentrate on my schoolwork because there’s ambulances outside, and we usually hear those very often, especially at night. Before the virus, I was finishing up my senior year in high school and applying to colleges.

I’ve been trying to make my decision whether I should go to Cornell University (an Ivy League school) or Binghamton University. Cost is a big factor. It’s very hard to speak to my parents about the college process. They don’t understand it because they never went to college.

At the laundromatImage copyright
Ana Carmona

16 April: My mother, older sister and I finally decided to go to the laundromat which is about five minutes away from our building.

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