People are ‘Adopting’ Health Care Workers As a Way to Thank Them For Their Service

[ad_1]

Christine Danderand knows first-hand how challenging the coronavirus can be. Last October, the Nebraska-based makeup artist, her husband and daughter contracted COVID-19.

Fortunately, the family is on the mend and no one was hospitalized, but Danderand also got a keen personal insight into the demands of frontline pandemic workers from a source close to home: His mother is a registered nurse who cares of COVID patients on a daily basis. -day.

As he witnessed the long hours and relentless pressure begin to have a great emotional impact on his mother, Danderand knew he had to do something to help.

Christine’s mom with her coworkers; Christine Danderand

“I just saw how stressed and overworked [she] and his coworkers were there and I thought, you know, what is the way that we can give back and show support, “he said CNN.

With that goal in mind, Danderand launched a donation page on Facebook where nurses and other healthcare workers would sign up to be “adopted” by members of the public who wanted to let them know how much they appreciated their hard work.

Soon after, the newly appointed adoptees posted profiles along with Amazon wish lists and the adopters busied themselves sending box after box of holiday cheer along with heartfelt messages of thanks and encouragement.

“If you read a lot of the Amazon links, they want compression socks, or a new pair of shoes, or a cup of coffee, candy,” Danderland said. “Just little things that brighten their spirits when they get home from work at the end of the day.”

The family of a COVID patient he had cared for urged ICU nurse Kelly Langel to enroll in the program. Not long after she did, a very special care package appeared on her doorstep.

CHECK OUT: 50 frontline heroes gifted new cars to go the extra mile to help during pandemic: ‘Surreal’

“She felt it in her heart to reach out and adopt me,” Langel said. Indoor Edition while displaying gifts that included soap, lotion, lip balm, a variety of tea, a cheery mug, and a Christmas ornament. “It is very humiliating.”

“I came home from my fourth 12-hour shift and came across this amazing gift pack,” health worker Stephanie Healey posted on Facebook. “Your generosity has blown my mind. I hope you realize how much this means. “

While Danderand’s initial goal was to bring holiday cheer to the staff at the hospital where his mother works, the idea took off. In three weeks, his group had more than 12,000 members.

Whether or not hers is the first group of its kind, similar ones have sprung up across the country. If you’d like to join the movement, check out your social media for local nurse adoption initiatives, or why not start your own frontline worker adoption group?

(WATCH the Inside Edition video on Christine’s initiative below).