Covid makes it year of Jamaican nurses
Nurse Sandra Lindsay participates in a conference call with
Gov. Andrew Cuomo after she was inoculated with the Pfi zer
BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at
the Jewish Medical Center, in the Queens borough of New
York. Associated Press/Mark Lennihan, Pool
Caribbean Life, DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 11
Last week the World Health
Organization declared 2020 the
Year of Nurses.
Overwhelmingly decided
from a long list of health associated
pandemic-related workers
who sacrificed their own safety
to help thwart the ravages of the
coronavirus — WHO knew the
most exemplary frontline workers
would be acknowledged by
more than a handclap.
Undeniably all medical personnel
– doctors, EMT, dentists,
assistants along with others considered
essential workers, they
all deserve a world of gratitude,
knee-deep bows, early vaccines,
and even financial compensation
for their unselfish contribution.
Considering the fact many
toiled past regular work shifts to
help patients; relentlessly worked
without personal protective
equipment, delayed quality time
with families, volunteered and
provided consolation to dying
victims of COVID-19, nurses
deserve every platitude.
However, Jamaican nurses
earned extra notice for blazing
a trail that will be indelibly
inscribed for their visionary
approach to advancing science
and medicine.
Here in New York, on Dec. 14,
nurse Sandra Lindsay, an immigrant
from the island etched
another notch in the storied history
of immigrants by becoming
the “first in line” to receive the
Pfizer vaccine.
Last week she emerged the
first in the entire United States
to be injected with Pfizer’s BioNtech
vaccine, the approved superthreat
against the coronavirus.
Lindsay also became the first
ICU nurse to receive the first
COVID-19 vaccine administered
in the state of New York.
The bold volunteer migrated
from Jamaica in 1986 and is now
the poster child making history
for leading a charge against the
virus that has caused the deaths
of more than 300,000 Americans.
Lindsay has been a critical
care nurse for more than 26
years. She currently works as
the director for critical care at
the Long Island Jewish Medical
Center in Queens where she
manages all intensive care emergencies.
During a public ceremony
witnessed by the mayor of the
city and the governor of the state
governor Lindsay unflinchingly
demonstrated the painless process
to prevention.
While many of her race has
expressed skepticism with being
vaccinated, from early on the
ICU nurse voiced intentions of
being “first in line.”
“The minute I heard about
the vaccine, just watching the
news and heard that Pfizer and
other companies were working
diligently to create a vaccine, I
said to my friends and family
that I would be first in line to
take it,” Lindsay said.
“I was just done seeing all the
suffering and the pain and know
that this is what we need to put
an end to this pandemic. It was
just important for me to take it.”
Chosen as the champion
essential worker willing to battle
the killer virus, Lindsay was
clueless that she would be the
choice until the morning of Dec.
14.
“I said openly to everyone,
including my leaders in my hospital,
that I would volunteer to
take it. I didn’t want to wait. I
wanted to lead by example. As
a minority, I wanted to instill
confidence in my people that
look like me, to say that it is safe,
be guided by science, don’t be
afraid.”
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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