Amidst the havoc that the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has wrought, many people are getting lost in statistics, news alerts, and press conferences. There have been 245,175 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States, alone, with more than 6,000 Coronavirus-related deaths. What is not fully recognized by many, as difficult as it may be to comprehend, is that the 6, 059 deaths have been deaths of people. They are not numbers, nor are they simple statistics. These are 6, 059 people who had families, friends, communities. They are people who lived lives, and they are not just numbers. What is perhaps most tragic about the Coronavirus Pandemic, is that not only are people dying left and right but, more often than not, they are dying alone.
Due to the highly contagious nature of the Coronavirus, hospitalized patients are unable to see their loved ones, as the spread of the virus is too dangerous. As such, many with COVID-19 who are on their deathbeds are unable to say goodbye to their loved ones. Former North Carolina nurse, Adrienne Jukov, is one of the many people who are doing something to change this. Jukov has started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to purchase iPads and tablets for fatally-ill patients to remotely speak with their loved ones and say goodbye as they near the end of their lives. Many healthcare professionals have offered their personal devices as a means of communication between patients and their families. As compassionate as this is, it is troubling that this is happening, as it puts those healthcare professionals at an even higher risk of contracting the virus.
Jukov has a rather modest GoFundMe goal as of right now. She aims to raise seven hundred dollars to purchase a tablet for the University of North Carolina’s Rex Hospital and the WakeMed Hospital, both of which are located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Over five days, five hundred dollars have been raised for this great cause, allowing Jukov to provide at least one unit to patients at the UNC Rex Hospital, thus far. She writes, “As a nurse, I know how important the connection between patient and families are, especially when they don’t feel well. Let’s bring them together again.” One doner commented on the GoFundMe page, “it never hurts to help.”
Although Adrienne Jukov’s fundraiser is a local effort, she brings up a very important point, that people are dying, and they are dying alone. Her fundraiser is only one example of a creative means of changing the fact that patients are unable to spend their last days connected to family members and other loved ones. Her fundraiser should be, and easily can be replicated all over the country. Thousands of Americans have lost their lives to the Coronavirus, but We have the ability to help make the remaining days of hospitalized Coronavirus patients better, by helping them remain in contact with their loved ones.
Adrienne Jukov’s GoFundMe page is linked here.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ipads-for-local-hospitals-nc?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
