If you will allow me, I would like to take time to share some thoughts, and experiences, regarding 2020. On February 17, 2020 I was in Wilmington, NC to witness my daughter receive her white coat during the UNCW’s white coat ceremony. As we stood for pictures, both of us smiling, I watched as over 40 other graduates of the ceremony were jovial and sharing smiles and laughter about their accomplishments. They were excited about what was on their horizon as they prepared to enter their nursing careers.
Over the following few weeks my daughter would contact me and talk about the offers she was considering. I remember the call when she decided that Mission Hospital in Asheville was the one. She would be an RN on the Pulmonary Progressive Care Unit and was excited about living at the opposite end of the state.
As fate would have it, we both would be in Asheville in March. She would be completing an introduction at Mission Hospital and I was presenting an ethics training with the NC Association for Marriage and Family Therapists. We met for lunch, looked for a good coffee shop (with chocolate cake of course), and did a search for apartments. On that Saturday, she headed back to Wilmington and I had a few more hours of training to complete.
The date was March 14th and, as our training concluded, there was an announcement that Governor Cooper had signed an Executive Order for Safe at Home and NC was shutting down. On the drive back from Asheville, I was already speaking with Directors to discuss how we were to provide our services while keeping clients and staff safe.
As we met on March 16th, we discussed the impact of the shut down on services, programming, staff, and revenue. We immediately began the process of following up with our funders and began developing polices/procedures to deal with a pandemic. We implemented new service delivery systems while ensuring our clients’ needs were being met.
With the implementation of procedures to provide services during a pandemic, we found a way to keep serving our community. However, this was only accomplished due to the dedication and expertise of our great staff. Our Board of Directors were also instrumental in our work as they provided the necessary support and guidance during this difficult year.
I just spoke with my courageous daughter who is on the frontlines as an RN on the COVID floor. She speaks to the battle and anxiety of being overwhelmed due to facing death every day. She shares her stories of holding the hand of a dying patient while speaking on the telephone to the patient’s family to provide some sense of support during the patient’s last breaths. As I spoke to her, I was reminded of our staff’s efforts to ensure the health and wellbeing of everyone we serve.
This is the dedication of our frontline heroes. Our staff here at FSDC and frontline medical workers who answer the call to go right back to the battlefield. To ensure the care and safety of those in need. Because of these dedicated professionals I have hope for 2021.
May we make the necessary sacrifices to make certain these professionals know we are with them. As we have heard many times, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!
Blessings and peace,
