Jacob Crust comes home after working in the St. Luke’s Hospital emergency department and quarantines himself in the basement to protect his family. He showers, sleeps and spends his free time away from his wife, Ally, and two sons, ages 6 and 4. The college sweethearts, both Maryville University graduates, will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary next year.

Quarantining himself throughout the coronavirus pandemic was not a light decision. The couple’s younger son, Franklin, has cerebral palsy; his major brain, eye and hip surgeries since birth and his pre-existing medical condition make him a higher risk for serious health complications from COVID-19.

“The hardest part is when our sons want to hug their dad,” Ally Crust says. “Since they can’t be close to him, they make signs and hang them on the basement steps. They ride scooters up and down the driveway while dad does yardwork. It allows them to be around him and talk to him from an appropriate distance.”

The triage nurse sees each patient that steps foot into the ER, which, for weeks, has been flooded with people in search of testing for coronavirus infections.

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This story was originally published in the Ladue News.