Kaleigh Meegan
Boston Medical Center

My niece Kaleigh is an ICU nurse at Boston Medical Center. She is young and vibrant, married to a police officer and mom to her beautiful 20-month-old son. She is terrified, anxious, and stressed as she drives into Boston for each 12-hour shift, and even more so on the way home, afraid she could be bringing this virus back home to her beautiful family. Yet, she selflessly and bravely cares for and comforts each one of her patients, acting as wife, sister, daughter, or even all of these, as she can’t and won’t let her patients fight their battle with COVID-19 alone. She is a true warrior and hero and I am blessed to call her my niece … Thank you Kaleigh.

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Shawna Corey
New England Baptist Hospital

She has selflessly, like so many others, continued to enter her hospital and help to heal others during this pandemic, while still taking time on days off to help me work from home by enjoying extra time with our son.

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Mary Raskin
Norwood Hospital

My Mom has been an intensive care unit nurse since 2002. She works the night shift, and has been working tirelessly to take care of COVID-19 positive patients. She deserves something nice to recognize the work she’s done! We love DePrisco’s – my fiancé got my ring with you :)

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Cathy Rowland
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

She is taking care of her patients, making sure all the nurses are safe and continues to keep a positive attitude.

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Kathleen Green
Self-Employed

I am nominating my mother, Kathleen Green, for all of the years of commitment and sacrifice that she has given to our family.

My mother has tirelessly fought for children during years of service as a foster parent, taking in over 100 foster children while raising my brother and I. My mother is older now but in her late 60’s even became a CASA for the courts of MA That stands for Court Appointed Supervisor for Adolescents. This has been a passion of my mothers her entire life, and she has and continues to give her time selflessly to children. During the holidays, she is a huge supporter and volunteer for The Wunderfund, which is part of the Department of Children and Families. If anyone deserves one of these necklaces for their love, commitment, and sacrifice to others, it is my mother, Kathleen Green.

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Susan Ferrari
Sturdy Memorial Hospital

I am nominating my Mom, a Patient Care Liaison in the Emergency Department because she is strong and unwavering even in the face of a global pandemic. She has always been a true advocate and support to her patients. But now, more than ever before, the world is so lucky to have strong and compassionate people like her caring for patients. She does everything she can to make patients feel comfortable and to keep families updated. She runs back and forth from the E.D. to the parking lot, where patients’ families are forced to wait in their cars, with every update she can. She helps patients use FaceTime and other technology to connect with their loved ones who are not allowed to be at their bedside. My Mom took amazing care of my sisters and me when we were young (she still does!), and now she channels that love and care into supporting the sick patients in the Emergency Department each day. She is and always will be a true hero in my eyes.

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Edith Moleus
Riverside Community Care

I am nominating my brave mother because she is an essential worker and is working as a social worker to those with cognitive impairment/delayed function throughout these tough times. My mother proudly devoted her M-F schedule with her clients and making sure their needs are met.

My mother has been handling all their finances, grocery shopping, and medication reconciliation/telemedicine appointments for this population during this global pandemic and then afterward, has to spend multiple hours meticulously documenting what goals/objectives have been met for her clients.

As a nurse myself, I have been blessed to be given such “wonderful perks” as being a frontline worker— however, I feel that it is imperative as a nation that we remember those who are not simply just ‘nurses’ but also play a pivotal role in the healthcare profession (social workers, respiratory therapists, occupational therapist, housekeepers, etc.) who selflessly devote themselves for the wellbeing of others by assisting this vulnerable population.

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Michelle Pepdjonovic
South Shore Hospital

My wife and also my daughter’s Mom works as an R.N. at South Shore Hospital on the front lines. She works directly with COVID-19 patients. It’s a scary thing what she does, but comes home with a smile every time she does. My daughter Priscilla calls her a superhero. Thank god for Moms like her.

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Kendra Connolly
MA General Hospital

Kendra has been a nurse at MA General Hospital for many years and is now a nurse practice specialist on a medical oncology floor. Her first daughter was born this past November. She has been working hard to continue to provide excellent care to patients during this difficult time. Additionally, she is working to ensure new grad nurses and newly hired nurses are receiving proper training and education during this challenging time. She is also working with other members of the hospital leadership team to provide support to other units within the hospital. She is a dedicated nurse who has spent many long days at the hospital, caring for others before herself.

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Christine Grant
South shore hospital

Christine is an amazing mother to our 8-month-old Conor. She was recently brought in to run a COVID-19 floor are her first job as an N.P. She just finished her N.P. School at mass general last year and has been fast-tracked as a provider due to her hard work and dedication as her job working at south shore medical center. As for her first year as a mother, she is putting her all into making this world a better place.

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Cailin O’Dwyer
Children’s Hospital

This absolute bad a#% works full time with the sickest babies helping them, has 2 young daughters at home, and is pregnant with her third girl! She’s selfless and caring and does it all with a smile and never complains! She had the choice to stay home because of her pregnancy and risk of COVID-19 but chooses to work her shifts every week because she loves being a nurse

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Rorie Philbrook
Addison Gilbert Hospital, Gloucester

Our sister and aunt Rorie Philbrook has been a radiology technician for over 40 years; she is a mother of 5 and grandmother of 10. As a radiologic technologist, she works with most of the COVID-19 patients that come in at least once, if not multiple times. Testing for COVID-19 in a hospital includes a chest x-ray. Admitted patients on ventilators are re-checked every day with morning portables. She is exposed to each and every patient (more than once, most of the time). She is our hero and one of the most thoughtful and kind people that I know. She deserves to be treated extra special this Mother’s Day, and especially since many of her children have moved away.

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Kathleen Noble Rogers
Mass General Hospital

Kathy has been working at Mass General since graduating from college over 46 years ago. She is one of the oldest floor nurses at MA General Hospital. When the pandemic started, many of her relatives tried to convince her it was time to retire. After 46 years of taking care of people, Kathy couldn’t bring herself to leave when the chips were down. Although with the stay at home orders in place, the traffic is much lighter, Kathy still commutes from her home in Weymouth to MA General Hospital to take her regular shifts. She is a mother to four children; The oldest with a Masters in public health from Yale, next oldest a PhD, next a degreed architect, and the fourth a human resources executive. You have to be a great mother to raise four successful kids, and you have to be a dedicated caregiver to work at MA General Hospital today.

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Candice Stebbins
Boston Children’s Hospital

My Wife is a nurse at the Boston Children’s NICU. She has been taking care of sick children (some with COVID-19) and coming home and being the best Mom to our 8-month-old. Through all the bad things she is seeing, she is always staying positive and gives so much love to our daughter Maeve. She truly is a hero to our family.

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Karen Davis
Tufts Medical Center

Karen Davis is one of the most selfless people I know. She has worked for over 30 years as an ICU nurse at Tufts Medical Center, dealing with patients suffering from some of the most challenging medical issues. As one of the senior members of the nursing staff, she was among the first ICU nurses put on the front lines during this COVID-19 pandemic, working in incredibly challenging conditions. Her shifts run 12 hours long, during which time she has few breaks and is unable to even drink water because of the cumbersome personal protective equipment she wears.

Karen is also the mother of two athletic boys, and she has dedicated herself to their needs over her own. At the end of her demanding shifts, Karen returns home to her family, where her husband and the boys expect her to make dinner. She has always been the mother to make special treats for the boy’s various sports teams, host team parties, and even deliver weekly groceries to her son’s apartment when he was in college. When her husband’s nephew needed a place to live when he moved to the Boston area, Karen opened her home to him without question.

Two weeks ago, Karen’s 92-year-old mother Irene Johnson died in a nursing home in Rhode Island. As Karen was dealing with coronavirus patients, she had been unable to visit her mother since early March. As Karen was the only daughter, her mother counted on Karen’s frequent visits and the weeks were difficult for all. After Irene’s passing, the immediate family was only able to have a small graveside service last week.
Karen is also a true, caring, and thoughtful friend. Countless times she has been the one I turn to in times of need, whether during an illness, sharing childcare as our children grew up together, or advice for various needs. I am privileged to call her one of my dearest friends. She is a wonderful mother, Wife, nurse, friend–a true hero.

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Debbie Buonopane
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Debbie is TRULY a hero that deserves so much celebration and gratitude from all of us. She is a single Mom with two children, a breast cancer survivor, a teacher, a Navy veteran, and an ER nurse for the past 31 years. To me she is truly a SUPERHERO for all that she has accomplished in her life. She also took care of me when I was pregnant in the ER with minor heart complications, and I will be forever grateful I was in her care. She just survived a horrible case of COVID-19 and has vowed to go back to the front lines to help take care of our community. She would look so beautiful in a DePrisco necklace!

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Suzanne McCarthy
Brush Hill Care Center

I am nominating my mother. She has always been someone who goes above and beyond at work. She has been working extra hours, picking up shifts, and doing whatever she can to take care of her patients. COVID-19 19 has made its way into her nursing home, but she refuses to let a virus get the best of her patients. She’s even coming home and instead of resting working on projects to give back to her team of health care workers. She’s truly amazing. Outside of the nursing home my Mom is licensed in Reiki. She’s been offering distance reiki to frontline workers, teachers, and anyone suffering from anxiety/depression. She never stops. She is constantly giving. I think my Mom deserves a necklace because she is someone that when crisis strikes, strikes back harder. She truly reflects what a hero and a giver are. Thank you so much for your time.

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Kathy Rogers
MA General Hospital

Mother of four, grandmother of three, worked at a MA General Hospital since she graduated. Since this virus, she has worked on practically every floor in the hospital to assist other nurses that have a lot of virus patience. Plus, she makes time to be with her regular patients as well. She works plenty of long hours because the younger nurses have to be with their young family. My hat goes off to her as well as everyone else in the hospital. GOD BLESS THEM ALL

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Rachel Baines
Beth Israel Deaconess

My beautiful wife is a nurse practitioner and devotes her life to trauma surgery. This crisis has turned her every day on its head and added more and more challenges. In addition to taking care of her patients and herself, she still finds a way to come home bright and take care of our two and 4-year-old. It’s amazing the things she deals with even though she is dealing with COVID-19 Patients daily and surrounded by the virus she has managed not to contract it yet. I see how this is affecting her, and I want to give her a break desperately, but she presses on. My heart goes out to all the heroes at her hospital.

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Alysa Snipas Veidis
Commonwealth Care Alliance

Alysa is a nurse practitioner who works caring for disadvantaged and physically challenged adults. She and her team strive to keep these ill individuals in their homes by providing medical care in a home setting. COVID-1919 has upended many crucial services needed by these patients, thus creating 12-hour stress filled and sorrowful days for Alysa and her team. Her three children, Talis 13, Maris 10, Sondeila 7, and husband, Andris, are truly supportive but miss their Mom’s time and attention. She is a true hero in this aunt’s opinion.

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Erika Duarte
St. Joseph’s Hospital

My Mom is so so amazing she takes care of my and my other siblings. During this very difficult time, she still goes out to work at the hospital to care for others. She has always been there for me. I would love to give her something beautiful for Mother’s Day!!

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Julie Duff
Carney Hospital

My Mom is a selfless hero. Currently, she is working day in and out at Carney Hospital in Dorchester, MA with COVID-19 patients, sacrificing herself to help others. My Mom switched departments to specifically help COVID-19 patients and sacrifices her time by being on call to help whenever needed.

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Holly
Boston VA Medical Center

Heather
Stoughton Police Officer

Each is a hero … One works at the V.A. medical center in the COVID-19 unit…the other is a Police Officer working for the Town of Stoughton I am nominating my Daughters for this because each has to work in professional fields among the very sick…they work tirelessly and always fill in on extra shifts as needed…the Police officer works on domestic issues where she goes into individuals homes …the other works in a COVID-19 unit with sick patients…they are my heroes

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Kellee Kaufman
MA General Hospital

She courageously goes to work treating COVID-19 patients while leaving behind her three children, ages ten-months, six, 8—and also her husband. Not a day goes by I don’t pray all our health care professionals who sacrifice so much to care for all patients. They all deserve so much respect and love for what they do day in and day out. I worry and pray for them all. God bless 🙏

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Marisa Silva
Charles River Center

I am nominating Marisa because she is a staff member from Charles River Center who ( in addition to several other – men and women) come in to take care of 5 SPECIAL adults in a group home. ( This group home is in 2 separate apartments in the Avalon Apartments / Needham Street, Newton, MA- one apartment has two adult males, and the other – across the hall has three adult women-both combined – constitutes a Group Home)

My son, Ricky, 60, is in one of the Apartments. In this time of the pandemic, she has been incredibly helpful to the clients. Ricky celebrated his 60th birthday on April 6th, and she was thoughtful about getting a cake and have a celebration with all five residents. I had sent a package and gifts via the Post Office since I was not allowed to come, nor were they allowed out of their apartments. She made sure that he received all the gifts sent and was able to take pictures that she shared with me. She even had him face time with me on her phone. She has scanned and was able to show me the cards he received, the fact that he is busy with his puzzle, and also that she is keeping his room neat and his closet organized. She makes sure that the shopping is done and there is enough toilet paper to go around.

She goes out of her way to bring coffee and donuts to the clients when it is her days to work. ( she even made sure to go out to buy a coffee pot to make sure there was one in the apartment.) This is not an easy job to do this type of work in the best of times ( nor a high paying one), but when we, as parents of these Special Adults, see an individual take some extra care – we are Most Appreciative. I am nominating Marisa Silva for one of your necklaces. I wish I could nominate her- and all the Staff -for even more recognition.(I have photos which she has sent me throughout this time, I just do not know how to get them from my phone to this message) Thank you for giving me the opportunity to Spotlight these wonderful workers.

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Kathleen (Kate) OBrien
Carson City – Tahoe Hospital

I am nominating my daughter, Kate. Although she is not living here now, she is truly a daughter of a MA. She grew up in Westford, went to medical school at UMass Med, and did extensive work and studies at MA General Hospital and Harvard. Kate is presently an ER doc in Reno, Nevada. She is also a single mom with a 22-month little boy. Not only is working daily to save lives, but she’s doing this without enough protective equipment. Protective clothing, masks that are meant for limited uses are being worn time and time again. Then after leaving work she faces the huge issue of keeping her baby save when she gets home. She deals with death and suffering all day and night, and yet she stays positive and strong – I have no idea how she and all her colleagues do it. We have no family out there so she going through this alone – such a helpless feeling for a mom To witness. Thanks for doing this and maybe pick her as a message that home hasn’t forgotten her.

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Jennifer Miley Gay
Boston Healthcare For the Homeless

Jenny is a dedication, skilled, compassionate Nurse Practitioner working on the front lines. Needless to say, her patients are at grave risk for so many medical issues & at high risk for The COVID-19 virus. Jenny is married with two beautiful children. She recently had symptoms, tested positive, and was able to be cared for at home in isolation from her husband and children. I’m happy to report she has recovered & returned to work. There are so many heroes that deserve this gift! Thanks for recognizing our health care providers & considering Jenny.

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Amy Gallery
Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Amy has been an ICU nurse at BWH for over 15 years and is a dedicated and caring nurse to all of her patients. When the COVID-19 outbreak hit, she knew that as an ICU nurse, she would be on the frontlines of this battle and she didn’t back down from the challenge. She does that while also being a single mom to her two children keeping a roof over their heads and paying all the bills. Even when she’s both physically and mentally exhausted from working a 12-hour shift, she still finds the time to spend quality time with her kids, making them laugh and staying involved in their lives. Amy is a great mom, a great nurse, and a true hero.

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Susan Nadeau Sullivan
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Sue and her husband Andy are respiratory therapists at Brigham’s and are on the front line of COVID-19 treatment. They have four children living with their grandparents to ensure their safety should either Sue or Andy become infected. They have not been able to see their children for over 6 weeks, other than by virtual methods.

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Kellie Mcnaulty
Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Mom of 3 little ones, 6,5,11 months. An ICU nurse on the front lines since day one. Giving her all , to those in need. So much love, so brave. What an example for us all. ♥️♥️♥️

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Anne Kearney
Retired

My Mom worked until her retirement at Cambridge Hospital as an X-ray Tech. She has been busily sewing masks to donate to her former employer, as well as for family and friends. She’s doing this despite not being able to visit my Dad, who is a nursing home resident. He has been diagnosed with COVID-1919. Through this difficult time my Mom has been the emotional backbone of the family. She deserves all the Mother’s Day kudos out there!

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Josephine Keane
Winchester Hospital

When the pandemic outbreak happened, my Mom switched from her job in day surgery and was deployed back to the floors helping patients with COVID-19. She comes home mentally and physically fatigued, but she knows she making a difference no matter how small.

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Deanna Festa
Children’s Hospital

She is a self-sacrificing mother and a beautiful human being. As a nurse at the children’s hospital she knows 1st hand what it takes to care for people, especially children. She is a caretaker 24 hours A-day for her daughter, her grandfather, and everybody she comes in contact with. I nominate her as a friend that I meant at our children’s preschool. She is the 1st to get involved in every project to benefit the school and she applies this as well at work. I sincerely hope you consider her.

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Dawn Heffernan
NSMC-Salem Hospital

Dawn is a Nurse Anesthetists who has been intubating COVID-19 patients. Dawn is an amazing and generous person. She is the first to pitch in and help in any situation, whether at the hospital or putting bandages on a neighbor’s child while calming down the parent. She also has three amazing children and works diligently with them to keep up with their schoolwork. To add to her concerns to keep everybody safe, her husband is also a nurse anesthetist on the front line. And yet we see her smiling, laughing, and planting flowers. She truly is a wonderful person.

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Eileen Keneck, M.D.
Boston Medical Center, Pediatric Emergency Room

My wife, Eileen, is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician working at Boston Medical Center Pediatric E.D.. She has been an attending physician there for 26 years. She has been instrumental in establishing treatment protocols and patient assessment guidelines for the Emergency Department’s care of the underserved, often uninsured, and frequently international children and adolescents. When the COVID-19 19 cases first began showing up in March, she and her colleagues found themselves truly on the front line of the struggle for diagnosis, treatment, and containment of the viral infections. Eileen has now seen and treated hundreds of at-risk children from all socioeconomic levels of the Boston community. Her energy seems to be limitless while she is engaged in patient care, but then once home, she has to change clothes in the garage, shower and scrub down before interacting with any of us in the family. I am truly amazed at her resilience to work day, evening, and overnight shifts week after week, providing compassionate care to those who are sick and less fortunate, all while struggling to contain her own anxiety and worry about exposing us to the COVID-19 19 virus and our getting sick.

Eileen has continued to remain engaged with our two young adult children, my daughter, who has lost her ‘dream’ job in her field of Archeology and my 23-year-old son who is dealing with the total disruption of his final semester at UMass Lowell as well as his graduation. She has been there to console them during their times of sadness and angst about the world community’s health and the United State’s struggle to establish a cooperative and bipartisan strategy to deal with the pandemic. Both kids have had recent health concerns, and she proved to be a vital source of guidance and information as they dealt with the fear of being infected with this unpredictable virus.

I just have the utmost respect and appreciation for Eileen’s strength and compassion during this unprecedented event. While her hospital copes with its own burden to care for all the sick patients amidst growing financial concerns (which may result in a salary reduction for her) she has stayed the course, through equipment shortages, the constantly changing recommendations and many of her colleagues getting sick and being unable to work. To date, all of us at home have remained free of infection – we owe this to Eileen’s deep concern for us and her vigorous adherence to personal protection in the ER, and for that …. she is my true hero!

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Carolynn Alexander
Tufts Medical Center Boston

She goes into work and gives it her all during these stressful times. She also has 2 boys, ages 8 and 10. She is there for them, helping with school work and trying to keep things as normal as can be so they don’t worry about her. She is kind and compassionate to her patients and is a team player to her peers.

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Tricia Allard
Lahey Hospital and Medical Center

Tricia is a Mom to 3 young children and is an amazing nurse. She just returned to work from maternity leave in early February, and shortly after, she learned her unit would be the first to care for COVID-19 patients. Tricia accepted the challenge knowing she would be putting her health and that of her family at risk. She continues to give excellent care to some of the hospital’s sickest patients. She works all night and comes home to her three young kids and plays with them and entertains them on little sleep. Tricia deserves a special Mother’s Day and Nurses Week!

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Joanne Smith
Brigham and Women’s Neurological Intensive Care Unit

Joanne is the mother of 5 children who, when she is on duty, works in the ICUs that have been designated as the COVID-19 care ICUs. The assignments include caring for two intubated patients when usually the ICU nurses care for one patient as they are so very ill. She leaves exhausted but keeps going back day after day. On her time off, she helps to care for her lovely elderly mother, who the family is trying to keep at her own home. Again Joanne travels from her home in Kingston to mother’s house in Quincy. Joanne is a hero who has been an ICU nurse and educator of new nurses for many years. Thank you.

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Christine Suffredini
MA General Hospital

First, it’s important to frame the person I’m speaking about ~ She is a dedicated, highly trained RN in the medical ICU of MA General Hospital. She also trained in advance life support and volunteered to be trained in Ebola care. There’s not anything Christine wouldn’t do for her patient. She’s always wanted to be the best patient advocate she can be.

Christine gave birth to her first child, Niko, this past December—three weeks early and unexpectedly by C-section. Little did she know what was to lay ahead of her beyond just being a first-time mom. Just as she finished her maternity leave, COVID-19 hit, and one by one, all of her patients were COVID-19 patients. At the time and to this day, there hasn’t been much research on infants under one who contracts COVID-19, but Christine was committed to breastfeeding her new son to do everything she could to keep his immune system strong. But how to keep her husband safe? That was another issue. Her husband is a Type 1 Diabetic.

Christine knew if she were to become infected, she risked not only her health but also her husband and new son, as well as her only caregiver, her Mom. This situation was compounded by the fact that minimal PPE and work conditions were deteriorating quickly, as health care systems just couldn’t keep up. Additionally, Christine’s pediatrician wrote a letter for her employer, indicating that it was highly suggested she be transferred to a non-COVID-19 work situation. This never happened, and the strain just continued to the point where she herself became ill and was tested. Fortunately, it wasn’t COVID-19, but she knew for the sake of her child and husband, something had to change. MA General Hospital allowed her to take a bit more time off without losing her job.

The strength, clarity, and determination Christine has shown through this pandemic are amazing. But first and foremost, she has been such a loving, compassionate, and committed new Mom. For these reasons and so many more, I nominate her today.

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Susan Horan
Partners Healthcare, Human Resources Manager Bulfinch Temporary Service

My sister Mollie and I would love to nominate our Mom, who has always shown has what being brave and selfless looks like. Now more than ever during these unprecedented times, our Mom has been working non-stop around the clock easily 80-hour weeks. She has sacrificed so much during these times, even working on Easter Sunday which we as a family always spend together. My sister and I, along with our Dad, realize that she is helping to staff the local Boston hospitals in the Partners network that have had an increasing need for more healthcare professionals. Our Mom has been processing countless hires, troubleshooting issues as they arise, and was also a part of getting Boston Hope, the convention center medical location, up and running. Our Mom is also a member of the Mass General Hospital HazMat Team, which provides large-scale decontamination for mass casualty events involving hazardous materials, a team she has been a part of for 17 years. As a dedicated employee of Partners for 29 years, and a breast cancer survivor, we have seen so much bravery and determination from our Mom over the years. She is our hero, and we will always look up to her for showing us what courage and strength look like. Our Mom has been continuing to commute to her office, as working from home has its challenges, and it has been a more frequent occurrence that there are nights we do not see or hear from her. We appreciate all that our Mom has done and continues to do in being a crucial part of the healthcare network of professionals combating COVID-19. We look forward to the time we will get back to spending with her once things have calmed down. The picture we have included is our Mom receiving a Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) Achiever Award in 2018. For 26 years, our Mom has worked with the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program and the MA General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement overseeing the placement of students from the Boston Public Schools into summer jobs. The work of the Bulfinch team under our Mom’s direction has led to thousands of students working at MA General Hospital. For these and many more reasons, we think our Mom is the absolute best, and we love her so much!

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Vanessa McKenna
MA General Hospital

My wife, Vanessa, her colleagues, and fellow medical workers have been True heroes. Her floor was changed to a COVID-19 rule out, then to a COVID-19 ICU. She had just started her new schedule to get one day off to spend time with us, just turned 1 yr old and our 2yr old, which COVID-19 has temporarily suspended. She is working long days, helping the staff while home and always thinking about the patients and doing whatever she can, including offering to drive in with Bluetooth speakers to make these gravely ill patients and their families know they are trying to make them as comfortable as possible. She emailed the speaker company in hopes of donations.

She is one helluva Nurse, Mom, and caretaker. When my two year old daughter asks where’s mommy? I remind her she’s saving people, which makes her smile … and I tell her Mommy will be through this, hopefully soon, and will play with you lots!! Thanks and bless all the front line staff, patients, and all their families!

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Dawn Heffernan
NSMC-Salem Hospital

Dawn is a Nurse Anesthetists who has been intubating COVID-19 patients. Dawn is an amazing and generous person. She is the first to pitch in and help in any situation, whether at the hospital or putting bandages on a neighbor’s child while calming down the parent. She also has three amazing children and works diligently with them to keep up with their schoolwork. To add to her concerns to keep everybody safe, her husband is also a nurse anesthetist on the front line. And yet we see her smiling, laughing, and planting flowers. She truly is a wonderful person.

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Pamela N. Cook
PCA for Disabled Veterans

It’s my Mom. She is my hero; she helps everyone never does anything for herself. My aunt and cousin had COVID-19; my Mom had to care for me in quarantine and my 95yr old grandpa and assist my aunt&cousin. Her love is what keeps my family together. I wish for her to be picked, so this onetime, her smile is for herself, just this once I want my Mom to be happy and surprise for her, not everyone else. Thank you for reading

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Irina Korogodsky

She works from home now, making masks. My Mom is kind and generous and always trying to help people. She is shopping for our older neighbors and help with any errands.

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Mary Bucelewicz
Brigham & Woman’s Hospital

My Mom has been a nurse for 40 years and been at the Brigham for over 15 years. She has been working on a COVID-19 floor. My father, her husband, passed away right before the shut down on 3/6/20. She is such a caring and brave woman and myself being a police officer in Boston; she makes me so proud.

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Anne Slattery
Lowell General Hospital – Saints Campus

My Mom is one of the most hardworking and selfless people I know. She is the nursing supervisor of Saints Campus in Lowell, MA. She often works long hours, usually 7-7, during the past couple of months. However, she never lets the burden of her work affect her as when she comes home, she is the loving mother of four children, always asking us what we need help on (three students now do online school). She has taught us so much, and we would love for her to be selected!

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Kate Serpis
Fresenius – Carney Hospital

My daughter in law, Kate, is a mom of two children – Madison, 9 years old and Jack, 7 years old. She is a Nurse and Manager at the Fresenius Dialysis Unit at Carney Hospital. For months, she has been working 16 hour days and living away from home in Boston to keep her family healthy. She was able to visit on Easter – outside only with masks and social distancing – not even being able to hug her children. Her husband, my son – John, is also an essential worker, working every evening in Boston. My grandchildren are lucky to have a cousin as a caretaker who can watch them when their Dad is not home. Kate was able to visit again last weekend, to give their caretaker and herself a well-deserved break. Her daughter also has Type 1 Diabetes, which is another daily concern for her family. Kate is a loving mom, living in a very stressful time, but doing the best she can under the circumstances to provide for her family and care for COVID-19 patients and assist their families. She has purchased (out of her own pocket) cleaning supplies and mask supplies (which I was able to sew for her) to donate to her patients’ families. I am extremely proud of Kate and her family, who have sacrificed so much and cannot wait for this craziness to be over! Thank you for your consideration.

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Donna Y. Barrett
North Shore Medical Center / Salem Hospital

My Wife is a caring mother of four sons and myself. She has been a nurse for many years always putting the care of the patient first and never slighting her dedicated staff. She leads her staff by example through her care, compassion, love, and understanding. In the past year, my Wife has been my personal nurse as I battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, she has never missed an appointment or a treatment, always putting me first. She is also enrolled in a Masters of Theology Program at St Josephs in Maine. With all of these things, my Wife has never neglected her role as a mother, she is able to balance all of these responsibilities admirably and with love.

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Kimberly Dube
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital

Not only is she a mom and working through this pandemic, but she also has four kids. She risks her life every day for people she doesn’t know, and then comes home and takes care of four children. Her hard workdays never end up having an impact on her kind, loving heart toward her children.

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Debra Lynn Smith
South Shore Hospital

This incredible nurse has been a constant beacon of kindness, compassion, and strength for over 40 years in the field. She has passed along her wisdom to countless nurses both beside her and after her. She has worked the frontlines tirelessly with grace and dignity and shown every patient and family member calm compassion in the storm that is the emergency department and hospital. She is a hero and respected by all that know her. She would be the perfect recipient of this gift.

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Deborah Dixon
Den Mar Nursing & Rehab

I come from a family of nurses, my Mom, grandmother, and my 2 aunts are all nurses. I have always looked up to my Mom in her role as a nurse and decided I to become a nurse as well. My Mom has been caring for sick patients dying from COVID-19 for a few weeks now. She works in the same nursing facility that my grandmother worked in. My mother grew up visiting this nursing home & has spent that past 30 years working there as a nurse herself. Having to watch residents that she has built strong bonds with die from COVID-19 has been far from easy. Caring for these sick & dying patients with their families watching from outside a glass window because that’s the closest they can be to them due to the strict rules necessary to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus is heartbreaking. During this time, nurses have to take on a new role of being the bond between the patient and their families. My mother recently told me that when I was about three years old, I told her that it was okay if she takes people to heaven as long as she always comes back. She has been practicing this role a lot recently & I hope that she stays safe & healthy so she can always come back to me.

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Christine Duggan
Brigham & Women’s Hospital

She is an incredible nurse, mother, sister, and friend. Working in COVID-19 ICU long hours. Words cannot describe her kindness, and if you are lucky enough to have her as your nurse, you will never forget her. She always goes above and beyond. For years she worked in the cardiac transplant unit she would decorate every patient’s room for every holiday, birthdays, organize birthday parties and bring gifts for Christmas. She is a true hero,

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Katleen Rogers
MA General Hospital

My Mom has worked at Mass General for 46 years as an orthopedic nurse. She is a loving mother to 4 children and a sister to 6 other siblings. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, she was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which was difficult in that she did not have her family around to support her, given the need to socially distance herself. She has continued to stay dedicated to her work despite what she is dealing with internally because at her heart, my mother is a caretaker. Whether it is her family, friends, or patients, my Mom is always looking to help others before herself. She is a tireless worker, and I am so proud and grateful to have her as my Mom. I would just like to hug my Mom, but since I can’t do that, maybe a necklace could make her smile. Thanks for your support of all of the mothers out there. They earned it.

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Denise Amato
BWFH

My Wife has been on the frontlines since before COVID-19. She has been a nurse for over 30 years and has never wavered about taking care of her patients , even during this pandemic. She is our hero to myself and our two children.

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Christina DiMare
Lahey Burlington. Surgical ICU

My daughter Christina has always shown such compassion to her patients, but as her unit has become a COVID-19 ward strictly, she has tirelessly held patients’ hands when no one else could be there and, for the most part, is the only person with her patient when they expire. The emotional toll on her and her co-workers is immense. There are nights that she might not get a break for sometimes hours. She loves her job but also worries about when she comes home to her husband and 20-month old daughter. Fortunately, she is taking precautions to protect her family. We are so proud of her and wanted to share our little piece of the story. Thank you.

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Betina Michaelowski
Elder Services of Cape Cod

Tina is not only in a managerial position within social services, but also a stay-at-home teacher, and full-time parent of three children under 12. She is also an attentive wife, friend, granddaughter, and niece. After experiencing the death of a close relative just before the pandemic, she continued to advocate for our senior population on Cape through her vocation. While working through her personal grief and feelings of loss, she continued to shower relatives with love and attention. She also was able to give and receive love in the form of friendship. Tina continues to emotionally support her family and friends, some of whom are experiencing severe health issues. In addition to being a dedicated wife, friend, and family member, she is a mother of 3 boys, three dogs, one cat, one guinea pig; Tina selflessly gives of herself to her family and community every day.