LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Yolanda Latimer's daughter Savannah was born early at just 23 weeks. She was in the NICU for more than four months. Now at three-years old, she's still dealing with chronic lung disease.
"I was afraid, I was very very scared because I've seen her at her most fragile state," said Latimer.
To keep her safe and reduce her risk of contracting COVID-19, Latimer made the decision to only cook at home during the pandemic. No take-out meals, no exceptions. She even takes extra precautions when bringing the groceries home.
"I sanitize all the groceries before I go in the house. I sanitize my shoes, I take my clothes off at the door. It's such an excruciating process, but it's worth it," said Latimer.
The mom of three has cooked every day for the last nearly 150 days. She has made everything from calamari to short ribs. She started documenting some of her meals, sharing them on social media. She quickly received support from her friends and decided to celebrate day 100 of cooking with an official blog, Londa's Laboratory.
She's now offering virtual cooking classes and hopes to expand to curbside meals soon. It's a labor of love that turned into a business she hopes will inspire other moms in similar situations.
"Everybody is doing what is best for them and their to get through this time, this is just what's best for me," said Latimer.