Daniel Atkins, of Brunswick, stands outside the Mid Coast Hospital entrance on Wednesday, thanking the doctors, nurses and hospital staff on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. 

This is the second sign he has created to pass a message from a safe distance as concerns over COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, spreads. His mother, Lee Atkins, is quarantined at Horizons Living and Rehabilitation Center in Brunswick.

He made a similar sign, one that simply reads “we love you,” to communicate with her through the window. 

The next day, he returned with another sign, this time covered in chalkboard paint so he can change the message, thanking the Horizons staff. 

Other iterations of the sign have been more personal, allowing his mother to wish his daughter Piper, who is in Montreal, a happy birthday, or share an inside joke.

More recently, as he stands outside Mid Coast Hospital around shift changes, the sign sometimes reads “thank you, front line heroes,” or, as it did Wednesday, “Thank you, stay safe, B hopeful.” 

It’s important, Atkins said, to share positivity during dark times.