Food for NYC Frontline Nurses

On April 7, I left my family, friends, job, home, and everything I’ve ever known. I bought a one-way plane ticket to NYC—the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis. I wanted to do what I could to help. Like many of you, I turned on the nightly news in the comfort of my living room. I saw the horrors, the carnage, and death—crippling a city harder than the crisis many of us remember in 2001. I could no longer stay home and do nothing. As a nurse, I took an oath to help those in their most desperate time of need. I knew I had no option but to heed the desperate pleas for help on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle. I’ve been here for 18 days.

We awaken at 5am—donning damp, soiled scrubs, washed by our trembling hands in our sinks from the night before. We stand in the mirror and take a breath for our patients who no longer can. We look at our exhausted reflections. Our reddened, blistering faces look back at us—imprinted with depressed lines from tightly cinched and no longer effective 11+ day old N95 masks. We hold back the tears. We have no time to think about ourselves, process what we saw the day before, nor tend to our emotions. It’s another new day.

Over a thousand of us flood the elevators of our now home—ready to go downstairs to board the cluster of busses lined up alongside desolate curbs. Two weeks ago, we laughed and shared stories as strangers. Now, we ride mostly in silence—knowing what another day in the trenches will bring.

Many of you have followed my updates over the past few weeks, thus, you may now know, that I am being quarantined in my hotel room with a suspected COVID infection—still awaiting my test results. Being trapped behind these four walls—unable to leave—has allowed me time to think. However, as I lay here, I can only feel guilty that I am not out in the field alongside my brothers and sisters—my new family of fellow nurses—helping our patients on the frontlines.

Given this, I have decided to set up this GoFundMe account to ask for donations to help raise money for those able to still work. With these donations, I will purchase food, water, and supplies, to be delivered to our healthcare workers at the hospital, and hotel so they don’t go hungry—and so they can stay safe. Unfortunately, after a nearly 15-hour-day, most stores are closed. Further, having to steal time from already minimal sleep is not an option for most. For those of you who have asked, I do have Venmo as well—Venmo doesn’t deduct fees from donation money accrued. My username is Austin-Blankman.

Typically, I would never do this. However, I feel that through these efforts, we can make a difference—aside from just staying home. I will post pictures and updates of the impact we have made with the money raised. Even a dollar makes a difference.

Thank you all—stay safe!

-Austin