Walton County nurse halting life to save others in New York City
WALTON COUNTY, Ga. - Healthcare workers across the country are halting their lives to help work in coronavirus hotspots, like new York city and Louisiana.
Some liken the coronavirus pandemic to war, but Melissa Page, from Walton County, is running toward New York City's chaos Saturday, to help get it under control.
"They’re beaten down and they need help," Page said. "That’s something I can do. I want to go and help," she said.
Preparations for the trip started just this week.
"Normally, when you’re traveling as a nurse you have a little more time," Page explained. "All of this has been arranged in probably the last four days," she said.
Having spent nearly 10 years as a medic and pediatric nurse, she’ll be stationed at Mount Sinai in Manhattan to help with the influx of COVID-19 patients.
Page says she’s cautiously optimistic.
"I have a husband, four children and grandson...Once this is over I want to come back home to them, so I’m gonna be as careful as I can be," Page said.
Page says she’s doing this to show Georgians what could happen here if we don’t properly practice social distancing.
"I want to show people what’s going on in New York and make them take it a little more seriously," she said.
All the while her friends and family are backing her like never before, by making masks and headbands for her ears, so they don't get sore from the protective gear.
"People are texting me saying 'hey, take this, take that to new York,' it’s an amazing feeling that makes you feel proud to be an American," she said.
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