'It was amazing': Local pharmacist gives COVID-19 vaccine to mom, grandma

MILWAUKEE (CSB 58) – As Mother’s Day nears, one local family is celebrating after more than a year apart.

Lauren Chars, a pharmacist floater with CVS Health, travels between stores around the area. Over the last few months, she’s been administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Her mom, Lynn Chars, is a speech and language pathologist at the same nursing home where Lauren’s grandma and Lynn’s mother-in-law lives.

“I had ability to check in on her on almost a daily basis and it was a gift to our family,” Lynn said. “She went from having regular visits from family to not being able to have any visitors at all.”

In January, the nursing home popped up on CVS Health’s vaccine list.

“I asked to be able to go and provide her [grandma] that vaccine,” Lauren said.

For Lynn, and the rest of the family, it was a special day.

“It was amazing so I literally went down to grandma’s room to get her and wheel her down and when I entered the room, I told her that she was going to see Lauren,” Lynn said. “She started to cry so I wheeled her down and we took pictures.”

The three reunited as Lauren gave Lynn and her grandma their vaccines.

“We will definitely remember that as a family forever,” Lauren said.

“There’s a lot of people hurting out there and I hope that this lifts them up to love their family, take care of each other,” Lynn added.

Since the vaccine, Lauren has been able to visit her grandma again and plans to see her to celebrate Mother’s Day.