Nurse’s Sacrifice During COVID-19

People around the world have applauded hospital workers for risking their own health to care for COVID-19 patients. But some don’t realize that healthcare workers’ sacrifices extend beyond the walls of the hospital. Many are choosing to move out of their homes and isolate themselves from their families to protect them from the virus. (1)

Jay Short, a 32-year-old nurse, had to make this tough decision. She chose to temporarily move out of her home in Northumberland, England to protect her partner and three children from contracting COVID-19. (1)

Her youngest child, one-year-old Lottie, is at increased risk for COVID-19. Since her birth, Lottie has been hospitalized for chest infections three times. (1)

To keep her safe, Short is staying with her mother who is a hospital healthcare assistant. Jay now sees her partner and children only through their front window. On Facebook, she posted a photo of her partner Ben, holding Lottie up to the window, while their two sons stand next to him. This post has been liked and shared thousands of times by people who were touched by the photo and Short’s words. (1)

Nurse Moves Out to Protect Family

“This is my family, my two sons, my daughter, and my partner. This is how I get to see them now, through a window for a few minutes of the day,” Short wrote on Facebook. (1)

The nurse said that she made the decision to move out once she saw other healthcare workers getting sick. “That meant it was not just the patients who it was affecting now, it was staff too — and I knew I couldn’t bring it home to my family,” she told the Daily Mail. “Other nurses are going home to their children because they don’t have any other choice, but I didn’t want to take that risk.” (1)

But that doesn’t mean that it was an easy choice for Short. “This has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I don’t want to leave them, but that is me being selfish. I am absolutely heartbroken.” (1)

In her post, Short highlighted why choosing to move out is worth it for her. She wrote, “I am leaving my family, my young children, so I can go to work and care for others. I will risk my health facing this virus head-on, but I will not be risking anyone else’s.” (1)

A Plea for Help Against Coronavirus

Short ended her emotional Facebook post by asking the public for help in beating the coronavirus. “I am literally begging you, stay home! Please just listen to the rules and follow guidelines! This is not a holiday!” she wrote on Facebook. “This is killing people! Do not wait for it to kill someone you love before you realize that you could have prevented it.” (1)

“My life is upside down without my babies, but I am making this sacrifice for the greater good,” Short added. “To protect the people I love the most and care for people who need it.” (1)

We send our deepest gratitude to Short and all of the healthcare workers risking their health and sacrificing time with their families to care for COVID-19 patients. We hope that you will be reunited with your family soon.