Pictures of the Year: A Picture and its Story
Yoshia Uomoto, 98, reacts as her son Mark Uomoto and niece Gail Yamada surprise her with their first in-person visit in a year, after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted at Nikkei Manor, an assisted living facility primarily serving Japanese-American seniors, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. March 30, 2021. Reuters photographer Lindsey Wasson: "When Washington state announced nursing homes with residents vaccinated against COVID-19 were able to resume in-person visits, I was able to visit Nikkei Manor in Seattle to photograph a family's reunion. Mark Uomoto and his cousin Gail Yamada had come to surprise Mark's 98-year-old mother Yoshia "Yo" Uomoto, their first visit in over a year, as during the pandemic the family could only visit through windows in the lobby. To capture the moment, I went up to Yoshia's room with a staff member who told her I was there for a surprise and asked her to cover her eyes. With Yoshia's eyes covered, Mark and Gail walked holding flowers and a balloon. Mark simply leaned over and said quietly "Hi mom." Yoshia uncovered her eyes and exclaimed, "It's so nice to see you!" and reached for a hug. I felt very lucky to be there for their reunion. The photo went viral, and I know Mark and his family got a kick out of being interviewed by the Today show. I think the photo resonated with so many people because it represented the feelings of excitement and relief that everyone was experiencing as they reconnected with their family after such a difficult year. It had a lot of personal meaning for me as my great-grandmother had lived at Nikkei Manor for several years before she passed away in 2011." REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo SEARCH "POY STORIES 2021" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY