Healthcare Heroes Project

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This was a letter I wish to send to the family members who were so distraught and upset, for good reason.

An Internal medicine resident shares the message she wishes families of COVID-19 patients could hear.

I want to share this story because I admitted the very first cases of COVID-19 patients to our Medical Intensive Care Unit. One of the absolute hardest aspects of the experience is not allowing visitors. As physicians, we pursued this life calling to help, heal and comfort. 

Part of the unfortunate aspect of the job is death. We have been trained to deal with death. We have not been equipped to deal with death by an unknown virus. We have not been equipped to deal with the emotional and heartbreaking reality that these patients died alone. 

This was a letter I wish to send to the family members who were so distraught and upset, for good reason, about the emotions that rattled within me feeling so helpless and unable to help them.

To the angry, terrified family of a hospitalized COVID-19 patient:

I know you’re scared. We are too.

I know you’re angry at this virus. We are too.

I know you’re upset you cannot visit your loved one in the hospital. We are too.

I know you’ve been up all night worrying and anxious all day, unable to change the situation. We have been too.

I know you're exhausted by the daily unpredictable changes. We are too.

I promise you we are doing our absolute very best.

I promise you that every single member of the medical community is giving every ounce of their physical, emotional and spiritual energy to this.

I promise you we are caring for your loved one like they are one of our own. Because that is who we are. Because that is why we are here. 

Please do not yell at us.

Please do not berate us.

Please do not blame us.

We are truly all in this together. We have all made sacrifices. We have all been personally and professionally impacted by this.

We are all doing our best. Our very darned best.

Please be kind to your medical team.

We are human too.

Christiana Shoushtari- PGY2, Internal Medicine - Chicago

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