Our hero left the house this morning at 8.30am.
Porridge. Medical case checked. Out the door. No fuss.
What’s a pandemic when you’ve been helping people to survive for 30 years or so?
Our hero, like hundreds of others across Donegal, is on the frontline against this virus.
She knows she has a very good chance of catching Covid-19 because of her daily interaction with the community which she serves as a public health nurse.
As a family, we’ve never actually sat down and discussed that fact but I think the kids know that. Kids know more than we think.
She doesn’t know I’m writing this and would probably freak out at the embarrassment of it all.
You see, gratitude and money aren’t words often used by our healthcare workers.
And by that, I don’t just mean the doctors and nurses and paramedics.
I mean the porters, the cleaners, the hospital secretaries…..all those within our healthcare system.
Because they will be the first to tell you that money means nothing when you’re trying to save a life or ease someone’s pain.
Ask Apple founder Steve Jobs who he wanted with him in his last days of his life with all his money – his lawyer, his fellow millionaire company directors or his nurse?
Tonight at 8pm we’re all being encouraged to give our healthcare workers a round of applause to show our recognition of our healthcare workers.
It’s a token gesture and it won’t in any way help what these people have to face in the coming days, weeks and months when this dreaded virus becomes more prevalent.
But at least they know that they have our support.
I don’t tell my own wife enough how much respect and appreciation I have for her and how she goes about her job with such modesty, humanity and care for the people she is helping.
I’ve heard a lot of talk about how nurses and other medical workers should all get a pay rise when the threat of Covid-19 passes.
But as much as the money would be welcome to these people, they have other needs which would make their lives a lot better.
Our Government is answering the call to deal with this crisis with as many resources as they can muster.
But we must learn how best we can treat the people who are our real-life warriors in the battle against this virus while the majority of us complain about being stuck at home.
A health service which is not overcrowded with patients lying on trolleys for days on end or ambulances backed up at A&E entrances for hours would be a start.
SM
