Pictures of You, COVID-19 August/September 2020

By Mary Bolster

An 8-Year-Old’s Art Boosts Her Neurologist Mother’s Morale

Leela Nagaraj-Datta of Omaha, NE, gets creative to support her mom during the health crisis.

How did you decide to draw something about the coronavirus?
I really like to draw, and I'm good at it. I've been drawing since I was 3. I usually draw cats and other animals. When I was 6, I did a drawing of a frowning whale for a calendar for NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]. I asked my mother what the virus looks like, and when she showed me, I decided to draw something about that.

Can you explain your drawing?
On the top is a doctor with a mask. On the left is a scientist making a vaccine. On the right, a researcher is looking at the virus through a microscope, and on the bottom, a person is teaching other people about flattening the curve.

The message of your drawing, "We Can Beat It," is powerful and positive. Where does that come from?
It comes from karate. I've been doing it for a year and a half and have a green belt. I've just started learning how to use nunchucks [a martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks connected by a rope or chain], which makes me feel even more powerful. I also love science. I want to be a scientist when I grow up and have a secret identity as a ninja warrior.

Drawing by Leela Nagaraj-Datta — Illustration by Leela Nagaraj-Datta

What kind of doctor is your mother?
She's a neurologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She takes care of patients with epilepsy.

Are you worried about her or your grandmother, who lives in India?
I think she is okay. My mom and I watched a cartoon about COVID-19 on YouTube that explains what it is and how to protect against it. We also keep in touch with my grandmother, who is healthy and tells us that it's so quiet where she lives that if you drop a pin on the ground, you can hear it.

How has your life changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?
I've been doing school on the computer. My teachers would send me things to do on a platform called Seesaw. When I was finished, I would send them back. I also had to send a video of myself reading. And I've spent a lot of time indoors.

Do you plan to do more drawings about COVID-19?
Yes. My next one will probably be a picture of white blood cells defeating the coronavirus.