Shaare Zedek Hospital in an emergency
My mother is one of those people who always knows what to do. When she started working as a respiratory technician I was curious about her job. When I was younger, I remember waking up in the morning and greeting my mother who was just coming home after her shift at the hospital, wearing her uniform. I remember her telling me how much she enjoyed supporting her patients and helping them get better.
As Covid19 started infecting people in Israel, my mother worked longer and longer hours and spent less time at home. She shared with us that it was hard for her to breath wearing all of the protective gear and that the heavy clothing made it difficult to move around.
As an adult, I wanted to understand what my mother was doing. As a photographer, I wanted to see what the lens would reveal. My mother arranged for me to join her, in Shaare Zedek, and I discovered a side of my mother that was completely new to me.
I remember walking into Shaare Zedek with my mother and heading towards the departments treating the coronavirus patients. The atmosphere was different. As we started to put on the protective gear, I could sense the tension.
The pressure to make sure that every piece was put on carefully and correctly. The gear was indeed uncomfortable, I understood what my mother had been describing. I thought to myself how the medical staff needs to put on this gear every time they enter the coronavirus departments. How the teams working in the emergency room treating patients who are suspected to have the virus but have not been confirmed, must change their protective gear every time they treat a different patient. It was hard to imagine.
As I entered a coronavirus department, I was nervous. Even though I was wearing full protective gear, I realized that there were risks. For me, this was an opportunity to share with others what was going on in coronavirus units. It soon became clear why my mother loves her job and why she feels such pride to be part of this medical team.
The pressure to make sure that every piece was put on carefully and correctly. The gear was indeed uncomfortable, I understood what my mother had been describing. I thought to myself how the medical staff needs to put on this gear every time they enter the coronavirus departments. How the teams working in the emergency room treating patients who are suspected to have the virus but have not been confirmed, must change their protective gear every time they treat a different patient. It was hard to imagine.
As I entered a coronavirus department, I was nervous. Even though I was wearing full protective gear, I realized that there were risks. For me, this was an opportunity to share with others what was going on in coronavirus units. It soon became clear why my mother loves her job and why she feels such pride to be part of this medical team.
Most of the time, I could only see the eyes of the staff working in the department, the rest of them was covered by protective gear. The look in their eyes sent the strongest message. Spending several hours with the staff of Shaare Zedek, I witnessed so many different things and I learned so much. I want to thank the medical team for welcoming me and for sharing with me their experience. It was amazing to me that my mother was part of this brave and powerful team of people. It was inspiring to see their sense of mission. While in regular times doctors around the globe treat sick patients and save lives, this was something different. Their strong desire to help those in need, to comfort those suffering, to offer support when family members could not be there, was overwhelming. This is the true battleground in the fight against the coronavirus and we can all breathe a sigh of relief because these are warriors that we can count on.
Most of the time, I could only see the eyes of the staff working in the department, the rest of them was covered by protective gear. The look in their eyes sent the strongest message. Spending several hours with the staff of Shaare Zedek, I witnessed so many different things and I learned so much. I want to thank the medical team for welcoming me and for sharing with me their experience. It was amazing to me that my mother was part of this brave and powerful team of people. It was inspiring to see their sense of mission. While in regular times doctors around the globe treat sick patients and save lives, this was something different. Their strong desire to help those in need, to comfort those suffering, to offer support when family members could not be there, was overwhelming. This is the true battleground in the fight against the coronavirus and we can all breathe a sigh of relief because these are warriors that we can count on.
