Hantavirus cruise passenger moved to tears by stranger's act of kindness during his 42-day quarantine

Jake Rosmarin, a traveler and content creator, found himself in an unexpected situation during a recent cruise. He was on the M/V Hondius when a hantavirus outbreak occurred. Health officials quickly put safety measures in place. Passengers were sent back to their home countries to prevent the virus from spreading.

Rosmarin, from Boston, returned to the United States. He was placed in a national biocontainment unit in Omaha, Nebraska. There, he will be monitored for 42 days. He has been sharing his experiences through daily video blogs and Instagram updates.

A Stranger's Kindness

Rosmarin must stay in his unit, but he can order food and receive packages. Medical staff have also left him encouraging notes and Starbucks drinks. However, one recent act of kindness deeply moved him.

He shared in a video that he is learning about "Nebraska Nice." People in Omaha have been very kind, sending food recommendations and offering to help. A follower online offered to pick up a photo print order from CVS. This allowed Rosmarin to hang some of his travel photos.

Rosmarin was brought to tears by this gesture. "It literally made my day to be able to get photos quickly and put them up here in my room," he said. The stranger included a note that read, "Happy to help! I’m sure these pics will bring more life to your room. I’m looking forward to your video blog so I can see them!"

Photo courtesy of Jake Rosmarin/Instagram

Rosmarin showed some of the photos now on his wall. They included stunning images of Northern Rockhopper Penguins on Gough Island and a sunset photo with penguins on St. Andrew’s Bay.

Photo courtesy of Jake Rosmarin/Instagram

He promised a full room tour soon, now that he has made his space more comfortable. He is in good spirits, saying, "it’s just five more weeks left!" He added, "I’m going to get through it, and it’s going to be okay."

Focusing on Solutions and Positivity

Rosmarin is grateful for the support but has asked people not to send more packages. He feels he has "more than enough already." Instead, he suggested donating to organizations that support hantavirus research and awareness.

Commenters on his Instagram video noted that Rosmarin is also performing a major act of kindness by choosing quarantine. "Well, you are being nice to all of society by choosing quarantine right now," one person wrote.

A week into quarantine, Rosmarin is sharing positive stories from his cruise. He wants to reflect on his experience as a whole. "I don’t want the traumatic ending of this trip to completely overshadow all of the amazing experiences that came before it," he wrote.

Despite the fear surrounding hantavirus, Rosmarin is setting an example by taking things one day at a time. He is doing his part to keep others safe. He is proud of his emotional progress and credits his fiancé, family, friends, medical staff, the people of Nebraska, and strangers for their kindness. "It’s because of all of you that I’ve been able to stay positive through something that at first felt impossible," he noted.