Will this be the day? Will I get my husband sick? Will my baby be healthy?

An ER technician discusses her commitment to helping others, even as she fears for her family.

I want to share this story because I think people should know what is happening around us. Sharing our stories can not only help others understand, but it can also help the storyteller mentally. Many of us are feeling the effects of this virus mentally as well as physically.

I have been an ER Technician for roughly 6 years now. I absolutely love what I do. This pandemic hasn't stopped me, but I will tell you, it has completely changed my life. I walk into work feeling as if I am going to war. And it isn't just me. It is me, my husband and my little baby girl. I am currently 7 months pregnant still working hard, trying to help as many people as I can. My husband is also an ER Technician. I walk in with such fear. 

"Will this be the day? Will I get my husband sick? Will my baby be healthy?" 

I haven't had an easy pregnancy. I was told at one point that I would not be able to have children. So this baby is a miracle and I am doing everything I can to keep her safe.

I am tired of hearing that pregnant women do not run a higher risk of contracting the virus. The fact that this virus is so new - how can that even be determined at this point? There are times where I cry and cry because I feel so guilty for putting my child through this. Never did I think I would be experiencing a pandemic, facing it full-on, all while being pregnant. I pray every day that not only I and my baby remain safe and healthy, but that everyone stays safe and healthy.

I am terrified that my child is going to get sick, or that I will get sick. I am a first-time mom so I have the normal first time mom jitters. I think mine are x100 because I am on the front lines. I read stories about how some mothers test positive and have to have labor induced early. That they aren't able to hold or be with their newborn until they test negative. Or stories about how some babies test positive and have to wear a respirator. Or the worst to hear - that the mother or child doesn't make it.

I wish the world knew that this is real! This isn't a hoax or a conspiracy. People are dying, and they are dying fast. I can't tell you how many people I have witnessed walking into the ER talking and breathing, and BOOM they go into respiratory distress, become intubated or go into cardiac arrest, and pass away within a matter of a few hours because of the virus.

Samantha Aiello- ER Technician