Stories of Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19
What Inspires Our Medical Heroes During the Pandemic?
As the coronavirus spreads and as the death toll rises, it can be easy to lose hope.
A silent and deadly enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic has been terrifying. And with now more than 23,500 deaths and over half a million infected in the United States alone, that enemy feels closer than ever.
Fortunately, we have an army of dedicated medical professionals (true heroes) who are making every effort to flatten the mortality curve of this terrible disease, including many of our own Provo College graduates.
From Nurses and Medical Assistants to Physical Therapist Assistants and hospital administrators, our nations’ healthcare practitioners are working hard to keep COVID-19 at bay.
In a previous post, we highlighted the unique responsibilities of nurses during a pandemic. In this article, we will share some of the stories and perspectives of the medical heroes currently grappling with this global health crisis.
Before getting started, we want to thank them for sharing their stories with us. We owe an incredible debt to these brave women and men who risk their health and their lives to save our own.
In the coming weeks, we will publish a separate feature article for each one of these heroes to highlight their immense contributions while tackling the threat of this virus, based on their unique roles within the healthcare system.
Learn what inspires these unsung heroes to answer the call of duty during this horrible contagion.
Andrea Bingham
Registered Nurse
Graduate of Provo College, 2018
Andrea is a registered nurse currently working in Salt Lake City, Utah. A two-year nursing veteran, Andrea’s focuses primarily on the immunocompromised cancer patients (patients for whom coronavirus is particularly dangerous), administering chemotherapy, pain medication, and whenever possible, a smile.
What Inspires Andrea?
“Knowing that everything is going to work out. We are all going to come out of this a different person and hopefully more aware of how to protect ourselves from other infections.”
(Click here to read Andrea’s full story)
Skylar Gaillard
Director of Rehabilitation/Physical Therapist Assistant
Graduate of Provo College, 2017
Skylar is a Director of Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Assistant in Murray, Utah. His dual role challenges him from both sides of the medical profession—managing staff and facilities as a director as well as providing physical therapy and direct care for patients.
What Inspires Skylar?
“To be honest, some days it can be difficult to find the inspiration to endure. However, when I see the hope in my patients’ eyes and their determination to reach their goals, they give me the strength that I need to continue working. I am not working in this field for me, I am doing it for my patients. They more than deserve my best and that is what keeps me coming in every single day.”
(Click here to read Skylar’s full story)
Taylor J.
PTA Neuro ICU/Surgery
Graduate of Provo College, 2018
Taylor is a physical therapy assistant working in Murray, Utah within the ICU and surgical departments. Her responsibilities in the acute care setting focus mainly on helping patients who are critically and acutely ill and require increased assistance to perform basic mobility tasks. In other words, Taylor’s job each day is to try and help her patients get on their feet, get moving, and get home safely.
What Inspires Taylor?
“Every day when I wake up, I try and find one positive event that will happen that day. I try and do this again throughout the day to prevent anxiety from gaining control. It’s easy to succumb to fear but my patients, family, and friends need to see that those of us in the middle of this can still be there as support. It doesn’t mean some days aren’t hard but trying to find the good in each person and in each moment has been key to enduring this challenging time.”
(Click here to read Taylor’s full story)
Maegan Bonner
Registered Nurse: Same Day Surgery & Emergency Department
Graduate of Provo College, 2019
Maegan, a registered nurse in Salt Lake City, is no stranger to emergencies and high stress situations. A member of the Emergency and Same Day Surgery department of her hospital, Maegan is skilled in triaging patients, assessing emergency situations, and beginning early treatments. Her position has the potential to put her in direct contact daily with COVID-19, so her attention to new policies and protective procedures has never been sharper.
What Inspires Maegan?
“I’m grateful to be working, I’m inspired by this opportunity to help others feel calm and at ease during emergencies.”
(Click here to read Maegan’s full story)
Kourtnee Coleman-Arens
Role: Physical Therapist Assistant
Graduate of Provo College, 2017
Kourtnee is a physical therapy assistant working in Lehi, Utah. Her position involves studying patient records, creating detailed minute-by-minute plans, then directly assisting her patients through their assigned programs. Kourntee finds great strength in focusing on the positive in all situations and says she’s able to find it all around her these days.
What Inspires Kourtnee?
“I find inspiration to endure this period through my faith. I’ve also found great strength by focusing on love and choosing to look for the good, because there’s a lot of it right now. My love and concern for the wellbeing of our patients outweighs my fear. I think most (if not all) whom I work with would say the same.”
(Click here to read Kourtnee’s full story)
Thank You For Your Service
We wish there were room and time to recognize every single healthcare hero on the front lines of the pandemic. Each and every one of them deserves the gratitude and applause of a nation. Without their tireless efforts, we would all be at the mercy of this terrible virus.
We look forward to sharing the stories of these brave professionals and giving you a look inside their worlds (and how COVID-19 has turned those worlds upside-down).
Be sure to give a heartfelt thanks to all healthcare heroes you come across—now and in the future. We can’t imagine a world without them.
