During these times that will go down in history, I am apart of the countless seniors who is having my graduation taken from me because of a deadly virus with no cure. Obviously, I am deeply saddened by this, as I had worked 12 hard years to get to this point in my life. With near straight A's and a perfect record, I knew I would never be able to walk proud and show this. Along with many of my fellow classmates, I want nothing more than for life to go back to normal, but I have accepted that I am not alone in my loss and that there are bigger things going on in life, so I appreciated what I did have. I have lifelong friends because of those 12 years, a healthy family, a phone to be able to talk to my friends, and boat loads of paint to keep me entertained while practicing social distancing.

So, when I turned on the news one morning and saw that there were people stopped in the streets of New York City, protesting the stay in home order, I was shocked. How could people not be following these safety precautions? In my disbelief, I went online to read for myself whether this was really going on. In my readings, I stumbled upon an article covering the story of this protest. I learned that not only were there horrible signs saying things like "Stop ruining my senior year", "Fear is the virus", signs even went as far as calling their Mayor a dictator. The most shocking was that New York was not the only state where this was occurring as, "Protests against lockdowns recently have taken place in several states -- Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia among them" meanwhile days after protests, those certain states saw spikes in their cases. I was simply astounded by how little thought some people give to their safety. Along with protests, there is also the people who believe what they want to believe about this global issue. I have heard people say absurd statements like, "Oh this is all just the government trying to control us." or others simply ignoring safety rules. In just the past week, I have seen young boys going into stores with out masks on and friends going out in large groups with each other.

While all this is going on, there has also been reports of nurses and doctors ending their lives because they simple can not handle what they have witnessed as the death toll from COVID-19 rises day by day. As much as people want to go out and live their lives, they need to stop and take into account how severe this microscopic virus is effecting others lives. As families are being torn apart, while nurses hold up lap tops for children to zoom there loved ones as they die. Doctors and Nurses stress as they swap between 5 to 7 patients, doing everything they can to safely change their protective gear between each patient all while trying to keep their patients alive and comfortable. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have a family friend working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with the COVID patients who warned my family how important it was to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. Unfortunately, with this benefit of the knowledge she gave me it also leaves my family with worry for her safety. In learning about the protests, I reached out to her for an inside source at what people on the front line are going through. I asked her simple questions about her experience, how her family is handling the situation, her mental health, and what she had to say to anyone who is not taking this seriously. This is what she had to say;

Without hesitation she started by responding to "Anyone who doubts this as anything but real", going onto say "I encourage you to tour a level one trauma center (ICU) in NJ or NY. Feel free to hold the hand of an isolated, dying patient while their family watches on Zoom. I wish you'd experience the physical and emotional fortitude it takes to wear full PPE while resuscitating a patient for over an hour. Anyone who thinks this isn't as bad as reported... It is evident that you have never had to fight for someone else's life, EVER... You'll never comprehend how it builds and breaks your spirit at the same time. Camaraderie and isolation all wrapped up into one. The reality is most could never comprehend what I've seen on the frontline unless you've experienced it yourself... DO NOT MINIMIZE what this is. It insults all that I do as a nurse." These are true words from a registered nurse working at the Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey. From the Intensive Care Unit working with patients suffering from Corona, Nurse Jamie Sargo has watched horrors, pleads to others to take this seriously, and says she is forever changed as a person due to her experiences.

Clearly, not everyone will have the experiences she does and therefore can not relate. So, to give anyone still doubting that maybe they should accept not having a prom or graduation (or simply anyone who does not worry about staying safe) I will touch on something everyone can relate to. That is family, and for nurse Sargo, she has two young children in which she needed to make a choice. They went to stay with their dad, but she has not been able to see her kids in over two months. Her son shed tears before every shift she had with genuine concern for his mom and simply wanting to hug her, while her daughter was too afraid to even go near her mom in fear of getting sick. And as she is already struggling as she watches families lose loved ones and knows her children are hurting, she is also suffering. Her children are apart of raising her spirits after a hard day of work, so with out being able to hug her kids she is alone. Having had a rough past, she has already struggled with mental health before and has been diligent to stay above the days that seem too hard. She keeps her friends a call away, and keeps the goal of being able to hug her children in mind. Through all the struggle, she told me she would never change being able to help others the way she has been.

So to anyone, who does not feel it will matter if they leave their house with out a mask, protest the rules set in place for our saftey, or party with their friends, please take a moment to think about what the Doctors and Nurses are doing why you would be out ignoring the worlds problems. Please don't take your freedom for granted, take precaution to protect others, and lastly, please take a second to appreciate all the hard work being put in behind the scenes.

And to all the doctors, nurses, and anyone who has risked their life to continue working during this pandemic, THANK YOU! Although it may not seem like it, we acknowledge your hard work, your sacrifices, and your strength. Although some may not listen, there are people out there who are listening. We hear all that you are doing and we praise you for this, we stay inside to make your jobs just a little bit easier. We keep our grandparents inside to lessen the number of patients you will have. Please, stay strong, you are not alone, and with time life will resume as normal, but for now keep pushing through because your efforts are acknowledged.