When I first heard about the pandemic...it hadn't arrived in New Mexico yet, but I didn't know for sure, how long it would take for it to come to this way. But once I found out that it was in New Mexico and people were getting sick and people were dying, then I really thought about it seriously because I have a grandson who just turned three years old. He’s the main reason I took my shots.
We share times together and he's growing up and I want to be there for him. And I want to go do things that a little boy wants to do, like be out in the weather, 90 degrees outside, and he still wants to go and play.
I'm glad I did it not only because of my grandson, but for myself too, because of all the things that I'm going through. Three years ago I had a heart attack. So that made me think about keeping my health better than what I did before I had my heart attack.
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Leon Tafoya is a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. He’s a father, a grandfather, a retiree and is currently working on his doctoral degree.