Guardians in Ohio Lose Contact with Wards Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Chris Ortiz

(MSN.com) – Loveisha Ortiz stands 5 feet 3, and the son she loves beyond measure is a foot taller. That size differential used to amuse them.

Now it’s one of the reasons they remain separated, with 39-year-old Chris Ortiz in a nursing home bed and his mother peering through the window, praying for either a miracle recovery or a quick end to the coronavirus pandemic.

Neither seems likely. “I was just teaching him to use a spoon again when all this happened,” said Ortiz, who lives in the Dayton area. “If I can get him to where he can help me help him — to get him to a chair and in the shower — I can bring him home.”

Chris suffered a devastating brain injury in a motorcycle crash two years ago, leaving him unable to walk or speak. Ortiz has been a constant presence during his rehabilitation therapy, much of which took place at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. CONTINUE