Wendy M.

Recognized by Chad M. 

My wife Wendy responded [to COVID-19] without hesitation! She asked me what I thought. I said, "If God is sending you then go! If you cannot find peace to stay home then, I support you to go because I know you are in God's hands."

We live in a small town in rural Alabama. My wife always dreamed of living and working in New York City. She told the crucial staffing agency to send her wherever they needed her in the U.S. They flew her two days later into Harlem, NY and assigned her to the hospital 10 days before the peak, and a week after the peak she worked 15 to 16 hours a day, 14 days straight with no rest. Then one day off and another seven long days.

She saw so many die in her arms and all around her death was everywhere, but there were also many recovering. Many patients would want to give up, but Wendy would tell them, “I came all way from Alabama to help you LIVE and YOU ARE NOT DYING ON MY WATCH. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? NOW LET’S FIGHT THIS VIRUS AND WIN”. She loved, served, FOUGHT, and PRAYED. She never dreamed her wish to work in New York from a little girl would one day send her into a war zone pandemic crisis environment. She is the strongest person I know.

Alexus P. 

Recognized by Fenicia C.

My daughter is a LPN at a nursing home facility in Live Oak, Fl where they have a tremendous amount of patients and staff that tested COVID 19 positive. She was one of the nurses that tested positive. She stayed home on a 14 day quarantine not knowing what she was going to go through or be faced with.

Ever since she was a child, she struggled with asthma and severe allergies. She lost her sense of taste and smell, was scared to sleep at night, dealt with body aches and a burning nose sensation. After three weeks her senses began to come back. Not knowing the unknown, she went back to work with the positive patients at her facility because most of the staff was scared and some were home still sick.

She has a five year old daughter that she had to be away from, but she has love for her patients and is dedicated to her profession. She’s a COVID-19 survivor and continues to work with the patients who still remain positive.