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Please Help My Wife Fight Breast Cancer!
We are a family dealing with medical costs due to cancer treatment. I was recently fired from my position as a nurse because hospital administrators retaliated against my concerns regarding inadequate PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in my family losing our health insurance.
On January 8th, 2020, my lovely wife Lobna was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized to the lymph nodes. As she started the chemotherapy, her immune system took the hit first, as expected. With my job working as a nurse in a hospital, I have been extra vigilant and taking extra precautions.
And then coronavirus hit and my coworkers and I had to deal with lack of or inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE). I knew that exposure to the virus would mean a death sentence for Lobna and my seven years old son Chady who’s already stressed out with the new changes to his mother’s health. I did the best I could: I improvised a gown out of a trash bag in order to protect my patients, my immune-compromised wife, and the rest of the community. My supervisor praised me for my creativity. Not once was my intention to harm anyone or create any political point. I was doing my job to the best of my knowledge and ability since we were not provided adequate PPE. We shared a photo of my improvised PPE, aiming to bring attention to the shortage of PPE. The media picked up the photo and used it to represent the inadequate PPE many healthcare workers are struggling with as they try to provide care in this pandemic.
Following the news story, things at the hospital changed. My coworkers and I were accused of creating “political theater” by the hospital administration which God knows we had no intention of doing. We just wanted the proper PPE to do our jobs safely.
Despite having just been offered a promotion to supervisor, I was fired from my position on April 13, 2020. I went from an excellent nurse with a recent promotion to the scapegoat that they made an example of to scare and intimidate others who dare to speak up for their right to safe working conditions. Now I’m without a job … and, more importantly, Lobna is without the health insurance she desperately needs.
My wife still has many chemo sessions, tumor removal surgery, radiation and five years of hormonal therapy to get through. Now, we are out of healthcare coverage, with no job, no income, and just bills to be paid. I’m still in shock and can’t process the situation we are in.
Where your donation will go:
My coworkers immediately began a petition to bring me back to my position (which you can see here: www.change.org/GiveNurseHisJobBack) and they encouraged me to start this GoFundMe in the meantime. Please help us fight this cancer and get the healthcare coverage that my Lobna needs. I put my life on the line against corona for the public. All I want is healthcare insurance for my wife and child. The financial burden and the emotional stress is almost too much for us to bear. Everything counts, and any donations above the cost of health insurance will be used for legal representation to help me return back to my job. IfI get my job back, I will pass your donations to purchase PPE for other healthcare workers.
You can read more about my story here:
https://eastbaymajority.com/highland-hospital-fires-nurse-who-wore-garbage-bag-as-a-gown/
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-Nurses-are-wearing-trash-bags-at-one-15172777.php
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Trash-bag-wearing-Oakland-nurse-s-firing-raises-15203427.php
We are a family dealing with medical costs due to cancer treatment. I was recently fired from my position as a nurse because hospital administrators retaliated against my concerns regarding inadequate PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in my family losing our health insurance.
On January 8th, 2020, my lovely wife Lobna was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized to the lymph nodes. As she started the chemotherapy, her immune system took the hit first, as expected. With my job working as a nurse in a hospital, I have been extra vigilant and taking extra precautions.
And then coronavirus hit and my coworkers and I had to deal with lack of or inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE). I knew that exposure to the virus would mean a death sentence for Lobna and my seven years old son Chady who’s already stressed out with the new changes to his mother’s health. I did the best I could: I improvised a gown out of a trash bag in order to protect my patients, my immune-compromised wife, and the rest of the community. My supervisor praised me for my creativity. Not once was my intention to harm anyone or create any political point. I was doing my job to the best of my knowledge and ability since we were not provided adequate PPE. We shared a photo of my improvised PPE, aiming to bring attention to the shortage of PPE. The media picked up the photo and used it to represent the inadequate PPE many healthcare workers are struggling with as they try to provide care in this pandemic.
Following the news story, things at the hospital changed. My coworkers and I were accused of creating “political theater” by the hospital administration which God knows we had no intention of doing. We just wanted the proper PPE to do our jobs safely.
Despite having just been offered a promotion to supervisor, I was fired from my position on April 13, 2020. I went from an excellent nurse with a recent promotion to the scapegoat that they made an example of to scare and intimidate others who dare to speak up for their right to safe working conditions. Now I’m without a job … and, more importantly, Lobna is without the health insurance she desperately needs.
My wife still has many chemo sessions, tumor removal surgery, radiation and five years of hormonal therapy to get through. Now, we are out of healthcare coverage, with no job, no income, and just bills to be paid. I’m still in shock and can’t process the situation we are in.
Where your donation will go:
My coworkers immediately began a petition to bring me back to my position (which you can see here: www.change.org/GiveNurseHisJobBack) and they encouraged me to start this GoFundMe in the meantime. Please help us fight this cancer and get the healthcare coverage that my Lobna needs. I put my life on the line against corona for the public. All I want is healthcare insurance for my wife and child. The financial burden and the emotional stress is almost too much for us to bear. Everything counts, and any donations above the cost of health insurance will be used for legal representation to help me return back to my job. IfI get my job back, I will pass your donations to purchase PPE for other healthcare workers.
You can read more about my story here:
https://eastbaymajority.com/highland-hospital-fires-nurse-who-wore-garbage-bag-as-a-gown/
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-Nurses-are-wearing-trash-bags-at-one-15172777.php
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Trash-bag-wearing-Oakland-nurse-s-firing-raises-15203427.php