“I was told by a doctor, ‘You need to accept your sons’ fate. You are severely in denial.’ I was 20 years old and terrified. I was labeled as the Mom who ‘wasn’t emotionally responding appropriately.’ The media and local news blew it up into something it wasn’t.”
‘I got the text, ‘Lex, we had an accident, but I don’t want to worry you.’ My son was the baby who literally fell onto his head accidentally.’: Mom to become NICU nurse after miracle baby survives traumatic brain injury
‘I’m going to be a nurse like you, mom!’ You are going to change the world, one patient at a time.’: Nurse pens letter to future child, ‘Healthcare needs you’
“It’s not glamorous. Most of the time it’s quite the opposite. Messy. Ugly. Difficult. Painful. Exhausting. You will get burnt out and want to quit. But don’t you dare forget your why. Remember, it’s so worth it.”
‘She anonymously set up a safety net of basics for a single mother. The seed blossomed and sprouted into another.’: Woman teaches the importance of ‘planting good’ during pandemic
“My friend shared that she was inspired on her way home from her essential job one day. She emphasized she used the word ‘inspired’ intentionally because the train of thought just appeared to her like a gift.”
‘My shortness of breath got worse. Then came the fever and cough. I was told at the ER, ‘You have lung damage.’ I finally broke down and cried.’: Mom struggling to recover from COVID-19 pleads ‘please don’t underestimate how horrible this illness is’
“Out of nowhere I got VERY sick this afternoon, so my husband sent my butt to the ER. When you’re sick you want your mama, your sister, your brother, your dad, your friends. You want your support system. I finally broke down and cried.”
‘I can’t wait for everything to get back to normal so I can pretend this never happened.’ I felt a pang in my chest.’: Woman urges ‘don’t give up on the safety of those around you’
“They proceeded to talk about planning a ‘social distance’ birthday party. By that, they meant they were going to cap it off at 25 guests. There was no talk of masks or staying 6 feet apart. In fact, they stressed that it is ‘probably okay’ since the pandemic would be ending soon anyway.”
‘It doesn’t end for us on the frontline. You see, we take it all home with us.’: Nurse urges ‘love on your people as much as you can’
“I started my 12-hour shift with two COVID positive patients. I ended my 12-hour shift without both of them. We don’t want to take you away from your loved one. We don’t want to see your eyes fill with tears from the reality sinking in that this is probably the end. We don’t want YOU or YOUR loved one to become the next statistic.”
‘Sweetheart, you’re going to get through this.’ The smiling eyes behind your goggles and N-95 masks will stay with me forever.’: Woman pens love letter to nurses who helped her battle COVID-19
“She was the ICU nurse who got stuck with the COVID-19 patient. I don’t know how many hours I spent staring at my oxygen on the monitor, willing it to rise. All I wanted was one breath. Still, she showed up, with grace and humor. I will never forget that sacrifice.”
‘Please, all the restaurants are closed. I have nowhere to quarantine. I just need something to eat.’ This man didn’t want a mask or hand sanitizer. He just wanted food.’: Woman urges ‘don’t forget about our homeless brothers and sisters’
“Today I broke quarantine for the first time to go to the ATM. From first glance, I could tell he did not have a home. His clothes were tattered and soaked. This man didn’t want hand sanitizer. He didn’t want toilet paper, gloves, or even a mask. He just wanted food. Something we’ve all stocked up on ourselves. My heart broke for him.”
‘I lost 3 patients within the first 8 hours of my shift!’ A new person would come in, sicker then the one before.’: ER nurse begs people to follow quarantine rules, ‘don’t think of yourselves being ‘STUCK’ at home, but being SAFE at home’
“One patient had thrown his shoe at the closed glass door to get our attention. I picked up the call light, reassessed their vitals, and they were comfortable. I’m having a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that patient was TALKING to me and LESS THAN 30 minutes later this patient was DEAD!”
‘To the nurse who tested positive for COVID-19. To the nurse who can no longer breathe. My name is Aída. I am an ER nurse. I feel you. I share your pain.’: Nurse says ‘I WILL show up for YOU’
“To the nurse who woke up to a text message that another one of their coworkers has died. Every day, we write our names and the date on our face masks and eye shields. Every day, we show up stronger, more capable, and braver than the day before. Not just for our patients, but for one another.”
