Person of the year
I saw a magazine the other day that gave the person of the year. It showed people that had no idea what it was like to hold someone's mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, friend, spouse's hand for the last time as they begin to cry out that they cannot breathe. They do not know what it is like to hold someone's hand as they know it is their patient's time to go as the virus has made it too soon. They do not know the feeling victory as someone comes off the ventilator and is extubated and the feeling of defeat as they again succumb to the virus as their lungs again fill with fluid and are re-intubated. They do not know what it is like to teach another human to fight for their life as their mind and lungs are made to rest. To all of you Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Respiratory Therapists, Pharmacists, CNA's, RMA's, PCT's, Phlebotomists, Radiology and CT Technicians and health care administrators and any other health care and essential workers I have missed. I salute you every day. As I walk through the hospital on my rounds, I want to look into their frightened eyes and tell them to keep fighting. I want to hold them in my arms and tell them that everything will be ok and to stop crying. I know that every night I will fall on my knees and pray for every single one of you to give you strength and power to do what you are meant to do. I pray for the lives barely hanging on and I pray for the families who will mourn those that will be lost tonight and every night until this crisis ends. I will pray that every essential and health care worker on this struggling Earth will realize that he or she made a difference today and will make a difference tomorrow in someone's life. You make a difference in someone's life because you were there today to hold their hand for the last time. You were there to make the call when another soul was lost. You are and were there to make the call when the battle was won. You may ask yourself how can I fight today when we are losing this war. Well we will not lose because these people have you.
The sad, crazy, struggling, tired, burnt out, but strong and courageous health care worker. The real person of the year.
Joseph Chavez