As pandemic restrictions continue to ease and cases of COVID-19 fall, people are finally starting to be able to connect with their loved ones again, which is especially important for family members who were isolated in long-term care homes.

Two-year-old Owen Auld was able to visit his great-grandmother Norma Zanus, who is a resident at Niagara Long Term Care Residence on Wellington Street in Old Town.

Zanus, who turns 96 on July 4, was ecstatic to see her great-grandson.

"Being able to see her family again was unbelievably beautiful and she shed tears of joy when she saw him," said Zanus' daughter Silvana Auld, who lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

"My grandson was so chatty with her at only 2 years old," she added.

The last time Zanus was able to see Owen was on Family Day 2020, about 16 months ago.

 "He calls her GG and couldn't stop chatting and laughing with her," Auld said. "Mom is legally blind and hard of hearing but that day she saw and heard him. It was so sweet."

She is proud of her mother, who contracted COVID-19 during a significant outbreak at the home at the start of 2021.

"She beat COVID and survived," Auld said, lauding the staff's commitment to keeping people as safe as possible.

"I feel they should be praised for their hard work and dedication in protecting our elderly."