A nurse caring for Codvid-19 patients explains why we should say "I love you" to our loved ones more often
A nurse's moving testimony on social media is making everyone question whether certain government restrictions are doing us more harm than good. To those confined to their houses, the Coronavirus has quickly become a synonym of solitude and loneliness, isolating family members and friends from one another when they need each other the most. In some countries, people aren't even allowed to visit their sick family members in the hospital if they've tested positive for the virus. For those who are too weak to recover, there's a good chance that they won't get to say goodbye to anyone before they pass on.
It's a reality that doctors and nurses have to face everyday now with Codvid-19. As medical professionals, they are expected to hold back their emotions. After witnessing a daughter say goodbye to her mother over a videocall, however, one nurse couldn't remain silent any longer.
via Facebook / Noemi Bonfiglio
Noemi Bonfiglio, a nurse who works in the intensive care unit of L'ospedale Martini (Martini Hospital) in Torino, was left in tears after witnessing one mother say goodbye to her daughter over the phone. It's definitely not the first time she's seen it happen and it definitely won't be the last, either. This particular scene, however, struck a cord with Noemi. On facebook, she posted a long, open letter about the indescribable emotions she experiences every time she witnesses her patients die alone.
Neomi wrote, "The phone rings and I'm suddenly confronted with the image of the woman's daughter that's just popped up on the phone screen. The daughter's eyes light up and are alert; it's been days since she's been able to see or talk to her mother. Covered from head to toe by tubes and a hospital respirator, the sight of her mother is not a pretty or comforting one. […] From the other side of the phone, I can hear the daughter pleading with her mother to keep fighting. Her words are sweet and sad, light and heavy, all at the same time. 'You've always been a fighter, mom, you can't give up this time, we're all rooting for you!'. And there I am, crying behind my facemask, because I'm experiencing an emotion that I've never felt in my entire life. I can't even tell you what kind of emotion it is... just that I will never forget it."
Noemi goes on to tell her friends and followers that the Coronavirus is literally tearing families apart. If it can happen to this daughter and her mother, it can happen to anyone. That's why it's important to tell our friends and family "I love you" before it's too late. And if you don't think it's important, think about the people who don't have the ability to see their loved ones before they pass on. Thinking about them might at least persuade you from leaving your house and possibly from spreading the virus. If you don't owe it to yourself, you at least owe it to everyone else.
