During this time of pause, we are taking a pause on our current messaging now to recognize all the women heroes, front liners and first responders and scientists that are quietly saving our lives. Everyday.
Women lead from wherever they are, and that’s never been more true than during the COVID-19 crisis. Women are on the front lines. They are
the majority of critical healthcare workers
, nurses, and aides. They are our unsung heroes. Women are leading the communal response. The stories of resilience are countless: the little free libraries
turned into
little free grocery stores. The women and girls
crafting
thousands upon thousands of last-line-of-defense face masks. The female bakers and chefs, caterers and florists, small business owners, and teachers offering resources to in-need neighbors, even if it impacts their ability to sustain beyond the crisis.
Millions of health care workers—physicians, nurses, technicians, other health care professionals, and hospital support staff, as well as first responders including emergency rescue personnel, law enforcement officers, and others who provide essential services and products—around the world have faced the challenge of providing care for patients with COVID-19, while often ill-equipped and poorly prepared, risking their own lives to save the lives of others. They honor us all with their commitment, dedication, and professionalism.
We want you to know that we appreciate every moment of expertise and compassion that you have to give.
Let’s celebrate these women and many more to come over the next few weeks. Stay safe and healthy and peace to all.
T
his is # 3 in the series that will inspire.
SHELLY HUGHES
This weeks unsung hero is
Shelly Hughes’s. In the spirit of Mother's day this weekend we choose to celebrate a working Mom!
Her typical day starts at 9 p.m. She’s used to not wanting to get out of bed and go to work, but now the feeling is much stronger. Her son, home from college because of social-distancing measures, tells her every day to quit her job. Lately her husband takes extra care to set out her scrubs and make sure that she has coffee. “He is just a little bit extra affectionate,” she told me. He reminds her to wash her hands and avoid people who cough. It’s “like he’s sending me off to war or something.”
In a sense, he is. Hughes is a
nursing-home aide
in Washington State, and her patients are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Hughes’s work has always been intimate, and hard: She helps her patients use the bathroom, changes their incontinence products, and repositions her patients so that they don’t get bedsores. She comforts them when they are worried and unable to sleep. But now she’s responsible for keeping them—and herself—safe in spite of staffing and equipment shortages that put both patients and health-care workers at risk.
“It is physically demanding, and it’s emotionally taxing,” Hughes said. The 50-year-old has “pretty bad asthma” and an autoimmune disorder, but, like her mother, she feels called to care work—even though her health issues put her at increased risk of contracting and suffering from COVID and the pay is barely enough to cover her bills. She tries not to let the fear consume her thoughts. For all of you brave, selfless caregivers and working Moms out there, we
want you to know that we appreciate every moment of compassion and don't give up. Your kindness is making a difference.
PINKK on POINT: "Being vulnerable is being brave. Being brave is being vulnerable. Be safe too."
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We do know we need inspiration of all sorts, and we always need to celebrate so stay tuned as we may be back to music soon or other inspirational sources as we need to celebrate together. We get it.
If there is someone you want to celebrate here and now during this crisis, or a team you want to acknowledge send a note to
info@pinkknow.com
. We are committed to supporting you.
