Many are paying heaps of lip-service to the unselfish and heroic behavior of those who are serving during the current health care crisis and its uncertainty. I cannot help but wonder how many of us truly understand the sacrificial nature of the work doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and first responders are doing: the long hours, the constant vigilance, the unending possibility of exposure to themselves and their families.

But the price those who make these sacrifices pay includes a focus that may surprise you. While certainly concerned with their own safety and well-being, what rustles their feathers and raises their hackles revolves around concern for their patients.

One nurse I have known for many years made this observation:

“I guess those of you unwilling to self-quarantine/shelter-in-place figure you won’t get sick – or if you do, you’ll be lucky enough to get one of those vents, huh? You know: when the grandparent your egotistical and careless actions infected is alone, struggling to breathe, but you, the younger one, got the breathing machine instead. Are you proud of your foolish ‘que sera, sera’ actions now? How’s that working out for the rest of your family?

“You don’t understand what all the fuss is about? You are correct – you DON’T understand. YOU are part of the problem. YOU are why this thing is getting more and more out of hand.

“I have a bad attitude? Oh honey, you have no idea. I am furious. And fortunately for you that fury is just another emotion that will get stuffed into the ‘No Time to Deal with This’ box. But be warned: You DO have personal responsibility, and the blood from some of these deaths will land squarely on your hands.”

Another nurse poured out her heart in recounting the deaths of two of her patients. She said:

“We lost two patients last night. One we expected [to pass away] and I was able to get clearance for his wife to be there – at age 80ish. One person is the max allowed and only when death is imminent (expected within hours). So I ended up holding her while she sobbed. I wouldn’t/couldn’t do anything differently, but now I can’t help but wonder what she may or may not have been exposed to when we allowed her in.

“The other death was not expected. He died alone.

“Neither of these were COVID infections, but both were significantly impacted. This sucks.”

This veteran nurse went on to say she sat in the parking lot crying, trying to get it together before driving home.

“Y’all, this is no joke,” she said. “Stay home. If you must go out, keep your distance from others. FaceTime, meet via Zoom, etc – whatever helps keep you virtually connected – but stay home if and when you can.”

Another nurse shared the impact of a gift that touched her to the heart.

“I am in tears. As many know, it now is required that we nurses, along with all hospital employees, wear a mask from the time we walk through the door to begin our shift until we leave the building 12+ hours later.

“While we all are extremely grateful we have all PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] needed at this time to protect ourselves, 12+ hours of wearing a mask indeed becomes challenging for many different reasons.

“Mrs. Edwina Graham Bailey not only took her time and talent to make many headbands with buttons to help make wearing a mask for 12+ hours a bit more comfortable, she also has prayed over each headband for our protection against COVID-19. We truly appreciate this act of love and kindness. You will never know just how much it means to each of us.

“Many have asked and continue to ask if there is anything we need or if there is anything they can do. The answer is YES. Pray. Pray for all our patients, both young and old, who are hospitalized. Pray for their families who are unable to be present at their side. Pray for the emotional and mental health of both the patients and their families.

Pray for all of us healthcare providers – pray God gives us the strength we need along with all the right words to provide peace and comfort to each of our patients as we are their only support during this time. Pray for our protection along with our families’ protection against COVID-19. Pray for our country, all of our decision makers. Most importantly, pray for one another.

“So many are struggling at this time. Reach out – check on one another. The simplest acts of kindness mean the most. Sometimes just knowing someone is there for you and thinking about you is worth more than money could ever buy!”

These are words from the front line of the war against COVID-19. I wanted to give you a glimpse into the hearts of those leading the charge.

They are truly heroic.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.