Times trying for health workers

To the editor:

Have you ever heard the medical diagnosis "failure to thrive”?

Hopefully, you have not.

Yesterday, I learned something new. A member of my family whom I know, love and trust, shared a story with me. You see, she is a licensed respiratory therapist. Now, immediately you are going to think this is COVID-19 related. It’s not.

Failure to thrive is a diagnosis for infants who just are not making it. Again, if this horrific diagnosis is something you are unfamiliar with, consider yourself blessed and lucky.

Yesterday, in a hospital that will remain nameless, in the arms of a respiratory therapist who will remain nameless, said respiratory therapist did chest compressions for over three hours. The team in the ward did everything humanly possible to save the life of the 3-month-old infant.

Alas, to no avail, they had to "call it.”

This respiratory therapy team also deals daily with the heartbreaking issue of treating patients in their ward who at a ratio of over eight out of 10 are unvaccinated, so they also have that issue that they deal with, daily. There’s no end to it.

Now back to our little 3-month-old. Again, this is not COVID-19 related. After “calling it,” the infant’s father comes in. Hugs were exchanged all around. And on that floor, yesterday, in that ward, I can assure you, there wasn’t a dry eye on the floor.

I don’t know about you, but this, “day-in-the-life” story of what your healthcare professionals are dealing with on a daily basis, coupled with this extraordinary experience, really touches my heart. Maybe it’s because I have someone in the profession that I’m close to, but you should read this and think about what they are going through and dealing with.

Could you hold a tiny three month old and strive with every fiber of your being to save it for over three hours? Could you?

Imagine what you would deal with emotionally when it was over?

These are trying times for front line workers in healthcare, unlike anything a lot of them have ever seen. I cannot fathom how one deals with this, at the end of the shift.

I don’t know about you, but this story touched my heart.

Hopefully it will make you think too.

Respectfully,

James D Fulks III

Dunkirk