”More than anything, I miss my daughter and cannot wait for this to be over so I can kiss and hug her tight without any fear.”
As patients and colleagues fall ill, a nurse years to be reunited with her young child.
“It was a regular day at the hospital until we registered the first Covid-19 positive case. The first thought that came to my mind was my 4-year-old daughter, Sophia. My mind raced through solutions to avoid putting my family at risk in case I test positive. That same day, I took the decision to pack my daughter's bag and drop her at her grandparents’ place, not knowing when will be the last time I can hug or kiss her. I explained to my daughter that mama wants her daughter to stay healthy and safe and that I will check on her as soon as I can. On the way, she asked me if I could give her a photo of me so she can look at it when she misses me. With tears in my eyes, I gave her a photo and told her she could Facetime me anytime she wants. I returned to what started to feel like a soulless house without my daughter running around. Up until today, I cannot enter her room.
Soon after, my hospital became the epicenter of Covid-19 cases in Canada. We’re the second-most affected hospital in Quebec and severely under-staffed. I continued working despite feeling extremely tired and lacking sleep, because I felt that if I take a break, I will be letting down my team and my patients. The government tried to get us more help and staff, but as soon as the staff heard that we are an epicenter for the virus, they simply did not show up. When my shift ends, I wait in fear and anticipation that another nurse will call in sick and that I might have to work even longer than expected. I am exhausted from working 16-hour shifts every day. I am sad for the patients dying without seeing their loved ones, from seeing my colleagues fall sick one after the other. More than anything, I miss my daughter and cannot wait for this to be over so I can kiss and hug her tight without any fear.”
- Meriem, Nurse, Montreal, Quebec, Canada