“She’d made a wrenching break with her old life, fleeing an emotionally abusive relationship and signing up at a technical school to study medical office administration. She quickly secured a voucher and enrolled her 3-year-old son in preschool.

“The illness sweeping China was on her radar, but barely. It seemed like people were overreacting.

“Then, in the space of a few days, her world imploded: Her son’s preschool shut down. Her own school moved online. And the small income she’d earned walking dogs evaporated, as did, seemingly, her fresh start.”

Read this Boston Globe article in its entirety, cllick here.