Chris Rusanowsky

Photojournalist

Pandemic Families

Location: North Lake, Texas

Nationality: American

Biography: Chris Rusanowsky is an American photojournalist and documentary photographer based in North Texas. Chris has spent the last twelve years of his career focusing on stories of resilience and American identity. In 2017, Chris signed on to his first... read on

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Miphouvieng Family, We both work in the healthcare system and are deeply involved in COVID-19. Our schedules have increased and have been working hard to stop the spread of this virus.

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Sheilaf Farpour, I've started working from home for the past two weeks and have had no real human interaction. I leave my house for 30minutes a day for some fresh air. My boyfriend is in Atlanta, Georgia. I may drive to him to be with him.

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Way Family, My husband is working at home and is utterly distraught because he's losing status by not traveling. I work as a nurse; I try to distance myself from him and his mother, who lives with us. I'm afraid that I could get them sick.

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Gutierrez Family, We have grown closer to God and each other. We have gotten some much-needed rest and shifted focus on volunteering in creative ways. My husband works for the Fire Departement and is working during these scary times. I am working from home with my two boys and our new puppy.

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'Iggy', a forty foot long sculpture of an iguana created by Texas artist Bob 'Daddy O' Wade was placed on the Fort Worth Zoo's Administration Building. The sculpture owned by Lee M. and Ramona Bass is on loan to the Fort Worth, Texas zoo and was set in place by a helicopter.

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Nichols Family, We are a family of five. My husband is an aircraft mechanic and has to work through this pandemic. I am home attempting to work remotely and homeschool four boys while taking care of our eight-month-old. Although it has been chaotic, it has brought us closer as a family. The world is a scary place and this has been a huge reminder of how much family means.

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Aistrup Family, We have slown-down from our hectic schedules, but we are isolated from our grandchildren. We are just at home and enjoy our new house together.

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Christain Schut, I had to cancel our twentieth-anniversary cruise to the Bahamas. We are spending more time together at home now.

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Klein Family, I work in the NICU at the hospital, and my husband is a mechanical engineer in the Central Texas region. We are both fighting this virus in different ways. At home, our children are homeschooling and missing their busy baseball and softball schedules.

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Gazlay Family, I'm a hairstylist and unable to work. My husband is an Essential worker, so he still has to go out on the job. I have enjoyed being home with my five-year-old son, we do schoolwork, read and go on lots of walks together.

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Ricardo Chiu, I live with my in-laws; they are in their 90's. I take care of them and worry about getting them infected every day I step outside.

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Martinez Family, The pandemic has been confusing for my children. Two of my children have Autism, and they all have ADHD. We were unable to travel for a memorial service after the death of my oldest son's biological mother because the area in California was on lockdown. I am a single mother now homeschooling three of my kiddos. We started social distancing very early because I have had two brain surgeries and have a VP shunt in my head. I was recovering from my lastest brain surgery and was ready to return to work as a School Psychologist, and then the schools shut down. I am still unemployed, and my savings are now gone. I know I'm a strong woman, but when this started, I didn't think I could be a home school mom; however, our churchward, school teachers, and friends are our village and help get us through emotionally, spiritually, and temporally.

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Lopez Family, It is just my daughter and me. We have learned to roll with the punches and learned to take every day one at a time.

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Ramos-Arausa, We are both military veterans; after leaving the military, we entered the private banking sector. It has been a challenge to work from home while homeschooling our three-year-old son. But the time together has been a blast! Recently my husband's sister and her husband tested positive for COVID-19. They live in Colorado. She is fighting for her life in ICU, and her husband is quarantined at home.

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My husband left the Singapore military as an Apache pilot last year and moved us to Texas with a brand new job at Amazon. It has been interesting seeing the similarities and differences between Singapore and America in this unprecedented time.

Public Story

Pandemic Families

Credits: chris rusanowsky

Updated: 11/21/20

Location: Argyle, Texas

Archived as: Fear, Health/Healing, Pandemics, Photography, Photojournalism

In 2020 The United States and the world face the spread of the novice COVID-19 virus. Overnight whole cities shut down non-essential businesses, restaurants and bars closed and all gatherings were prohibited to help contain the spread. American families were asked to practice social distancing and to wear a mask when out in public. As the numbers keep rising so does the economic impact of the virus. Many families are left to think about what will happen next and when will this pandemic end. This photo story is a small look at what many families in middle-class American face and feel during these unprecedented times in American history.

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Chris Rusanowsky

Also by Chris Rusanowsky —

Tearsheets

People

Reportage

Editorial

American Identity

God's Country (2018)

Pride and Water

Portraits

Reportage

Portraits

A Home From Far

The Pandemic (2020)

Overview

Portraits

The Bakken (2014 - 2015)

Smokey Mountain (2012)

Portraiture

Nature of Fire (2017)

The Elders

Beheading The Serpent (2020)

Under The Same Flag

Last Free Place (2017)

Heroin Bridge (2013)

Seminal Moment (2019)