‘You are crying with them,’ Bronson nurse says during Kalamazoo COVID-19 vigil
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI – David Blair is not sure why he survived his hospitalization with COVID-19, but said he wants to be inspiration for others.
At one point while he was a patient at Bronson Methodist Hospital, Blair was told to call and talk with his loved ones. No one told him it could be his last goodbye, he said, but it was implied.
“I don’t know exactly why that I survived, but I’m glad I did; knowing that it’s hope and inspiration to not only just the people out in the world that can hear it, but the workers in the hospital as well,” Blair said.
He was one of the people who spoke during a virtual COVID-19 memorial service through Bronson Healthcare. A full video of the virtual candlelight vigil can be watched here.
Related: Virtual candlelight vigil planned in Kalamazoo in honor of people impacted by COVID-19
Working with COVID-19 patients can be heard, registered nurse Alesia Lewandowski said during the vigil.
“You are crying with them,” Lewandowski said. “You are listening to their stories. They’re saying their goodbyes. It’s hard to talk about without getting emotional.”
Fawn Jennings tries to make sure she and others smile and experience life, even after her son, Trevor Jennings, died from COVID-19 at age 27. He would want others to experience life, his mother said.
“That’s what we’re trying to do to keep Trevor’s memory alive,” Jennings said.
There are days that Patient Care Assistant Juanita Baker said she has trouble sleeping after work, but she still comes back.
“I always say a prayer before I come to work,” Baker said. “I pray for my coworkers and my family, as well as my patients.”
More from MLive:
Grand Rapids man sentenced to life in prison for Kalamazoo murder
Kalamazoo County commissioner says he will not wear a mask, in defiance of new board rule
