Expectant teacher on bedrest continues to teach virtually
LOS ANGELES - An expectant teacher on bedrest is teaching her third-grade students remotely from Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.
Janet Udomratsak has been hospitalized for seven weeks due to her high-risk pregnancy.
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She is waiting until it is safe to deliver her baby boy. She could have chosen to go on medical leave or disability but decided to teach her students at Tierra Bonita Elementary School in Lancaster virtually.
"I made a personal decision to not let my students and parents know that I'm here in the hospital and I just felt that with just everything going on with virtual learning and having to stay at home and COVID going on and there's already a lot of distractions going on in everyone's lives right now," she said.
She was admitted to the hospital on July 4 after having trouble with her pregnancy.
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"When I got admitted and was told that I wasn't going to be able to go home again until who knows when, that was the hardest moment for me and I broke down because I didn't get to say goodbye properly to my son or my husband. That was really scary for me actually to be in a position where he [the baby] was so small and not knowing if he would survive but thankfully I've made it through and now at 32 weeks, way past viability," she said.
Udomratsak said she wanted to be able to connect with her students, and virtual teaching gave her that opportunity.
"It is the start of the school year and I wanted them to know that I'm there for them and that I'm going through the same exact issues that they're going through with virtual learning," Udomratsak said.
The past seven weeks have been difficult for Udomratsak.
"It was a rollercoaster ride to be honest. My emotions were going up and down. I tried to stay positive as much as possible and I honestly think that's what helped me get through. When the start of school came, I did ask if I could start working because that also gave me kind of a distraction of what I was going through and it also just helped me to make sure I was doing what I would normally do and that would be with the kids so it actually helped me," she said.
She said her students believe she's just working from home like other teachers, but one observant student did notice her hospital arm band.
"She did ask during the middle of class, like hey Mrs. U, what's that on your wrist and I kind of just brushed it off and said they're just bracelets I have on my arm," she said.
Udomratsak, with the help of her husband, set up a portion of her hospital room to resemble a classroom.
"It just helped me take my mind off all the negative things that was going on around me," she said.
Now that her story is being televised, her students will know she's teaching from the hospital.
"I don't know how to prepare myself for that, but I'm pretty sure when it gets out, they'll flood me with questions," she said.
The prognosis for her baby is much better now than seven weeks ago, and she is looking forward to delivering a healthy baby boy in October.
"I'm so close to delivering this baby, and when he comes, I get to go home and be with my family," she said.