The following is a text from Dr. Alissa Baker.  Dr. Baker is a Hematological Pediatric Oncologist in NYC,  Her work in the fight against childhood cancer has been recognized by companies like Hyundai

A few days ago she provided a brief description of what they are facing, in a text a received just a couple days ago. She writes:

Your text made me smile so thank you I’m ok, I’m on service this week since I took over for a colleague with severe asthma & it’s been emotional. At peak I had 5 covid19+ kids. One is one of our sarcoma kids who had metastatic disease & was slowly dying but now he’s intubated from covid19 & rapidly dying .

NYC is a mess, I finally have my two N95 masks but had to see my first + kid without one. My hospital is better off than most here but we’re on a trajectory to run out of ventilators on Monday & today we’re having a meeting about being “re-deployed” to help out adult colleagues. The children’s hospital is being consolidated to three floors to make room for adult, our ED got converted to additional adult ED space & our ICU is taking up to age 30 now.

I wish I could see the end in sight but not so far; I know it has to be there so I’m trying to focus on the positives. I’ve been taking my team for coffee & breakfast every morning to try to keep the residents morale up. But honestly, I cry every night when I get home. Hoping to learn a new skill with some meditation soon :P.

One of the hard parts about this for me is that Alissa is family (picture above was our visit to the Salt Mines) and I can’t be there to comfort her with a hug, tell her she’s amazing and that she can do this and it will soon pass.  She comes every year for Thanksgiving and that hug will be waiting for but for now, on Day 1 of our statewide stay at home order, if you don’t have to go out, if it’s not truly essential for you to be around people, stay home.  It will save lives, maybe even the life of someone you know.