This is a post in a series of reflections during the COVID-19 pandemic. To read other reflections, please go to the Pandemic Reflections page.
Good morning everyone, even in the midst of this unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic our church community has been able to stay connected through zoom worship services, prayer meetings and bible studies. I’ve always known, but have come to appreciate even more, how important our community has been. We, as a community, have stood in solidarity together with our fellow brothers and sisters within our back community, who experience systemic racism daily. We are in a position to able to help others, through donations to Evangel Hall, South Africa and to our local food banks. As a member our St. Timothy community I want to thank the 목사님들 (Reverends), 전도사님들 (Pastors), the new interns and session for all of the work that they have been doing to keep us connected. I miss you all of you! I appreciate being able to see each of you weekly from our new babies, to toddlers, the Sunday school kids, the Hi-C, and the college kids. Everyone is growing much too fast! Of course, I also miss the rest of you folks in the congregation and I am hoping and praying that we can all see each other soon and in person in the near future.
Today this Covid-19 has infected more than 7.8M people worldwide, with over 431 728 deaths. In Canada, we have over 98 000 cases, with over 8107 deaths across Canada and in Ontario there are over 31 992 cases, with over 2507 people who have died. In the Durham region where our hospital is located there are over 1617 cases and within our hospital there are currently 31 active cases with several in Critical Care.
I have been working at Lakeridge Health as a staff chaplain at for almost 18 years. As a staff chaplain we provide spiritual care, support and counsel to the patients and their families who come through our doors. We offer encouragement and examine the patient’s sources of hope and strength in the midst of their life’s trials. Parents have walked into our emergency, because their son died instantly from motor vehicle accidents, a cardiac arrest, or drug overdose. We are called in to be present for those are receiving news that their cancer has advanced, and no cure is possible, as well as to support young children through the death of their parent. We’ve been at bedside, as a person takes their last breath after the final prayer, and as the spouse of over 60+ years is devastated and is unsure how to continue living. We are at the side of the bereaved, and also present to support to those suffering from mental health and addictions as they recount their experiences of abuse and trauma.
During these 18 years, much has happened. We’ve had to deal with evacuating 2 of our hospital sites due to fire and smoke damage and reopening the facility after reconstruction. I’ve had water pouring through the ceiling in my office and onto my desk. We have lived through SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in early 2003. Despite all of these trials, this Covid-19 Pandemic is different. Nothing else put life on hold like Covid-19. It has been months now, but we are hopeful that things will get back to normal again. We’ve been in lock down since the March break, where schools were cancelled, universities class went on-line, and everything was shut down except for essential services.
Most of our regular lives and livelihoods were put on hold. But the hospital, being an essential service, remained open. However, elective surgeries were put on hold, so that the hospital system could absorb the incoming patients from Covid-19. The hospitals were preparing a plan, should the surge in cases increase beyond capacity, and a plan was being worked on should the need for ventilators exceed the supply of the current ventilators that are available in our hospital systems.
In the early days, it was frightening. Going into hospital was a scary time.
Early on, I was asked to go in and see a patient who was isolated and a few days later the unit was on outbreak, which means that there was a transmission of Covid infections on the unit. My thoughts were, “what if that patient that I saw was one of the outbreak cases?”. I had been home to my family, I could have put my family at risk. What if I am positive? I would have spread it to my family. Thankfully, the patient I had seen was fine. But it was not so for another family. A young person in their early 30’s was vented and in Critical with Covid-19. His mom who worked at a nursing home, had become infected and infected her son. The mom had mild symptoms, but the son was vented and in critical care. The patient’s mom was feeling powerless. Due to her being infected with Covid and on quarantine herself she could not be present by her son’s side. This mom was upset and teary and had been asking for the chaplain to go in and pray for her son. I did so, but was also supporting the mom through her worries and her helplessness.
Being in the hospital we see Covid patients and those awaiting Covid testing results regularly. A volunteer in her 80’s whom I have worked closely with has tested positive. One of my chaplain colleagues who shares an office with me, we worked in the same space together that morning. Our office is quite small. He called in next day, his wife, a nurse in another facility has tested positive for Covid and so he was going off into quarantine. Any little symptom no matter how mild, we as staff are very wary and hyper-vigilant to any sniffle, sore throat, cold symptoms as the last thing we want to do is put others at risk. I’ve also had to be tested. The test was quick, but very uncomfortable. I’m negative.
Proper protocols had been in place weeks prior, where we are wearing masks constantly. I wear a mask all day, and when I see any patients, I need full face shield, and for those in isolations and awaiting Covid test results, we must gown and glove and maintain social distance. For our patients, dealing with the health crisis is difficult enough but having to go through these challenges without the presence of their family and support system makes it even more difficult. They feel isolation even more so, and experience and loneliness like never before.
Visiting restrictions are being lifted slowly at our hospital now. There have been some changes over the weekend. But these restrictions were strictly enforced. Some patients are admitted for just a few days, but many others are admitted weeks and months at a time, and no one was allowed visitors. There were only 3 exceptions, young children could have one parent with them, a person giving birth could have one person with them, and those who are palliative, only those who are actively dying were allowed 1 visitor. And even then, oftentimes the patient was no longer able to communicate. But those with Covid-19 were not allowed any visitors.
There was a patient in her 60’s dying, only one designated family member could visit. The family decided that it would be the husband, but their 2 children were not allowed in to visit and say their goodbyes to their mom. It was heartbreaking. They weren’t allowed in, but they were waiting outside of the screening station in the lobby, and so I had to go out to them to provide counseling as they became upset that their parent was dying, but they couldn’t be present. People understand, but that doesn’t make it any less upsetting. Another woman just received a new diagnosis of cancer but did not have her family by her side to hear the news together. The family was informed via telephone, through the patient herself. She needed someone unpack and talk about this new diagnosis and her new life.
As a chaplain we also respond to Code Blue when the patient’s heart stops and they have to administer CPR, and in cases of Code Pink, when a child’s heart stops to offer support to the family. But with Covid, it has become Protected Code Blue, Protected Code pink, Protected Code White (violent or aggressive person). It is protected codes as there are unknowns about this person’s contagious potential, so staff get geared up with PPE (personal protective equipment). Before Covid, families were present, and we supported them as their loved ones are being worked on. Now, no family is at bedside anymore due to visitor restrictions. Recently, a Protected Code Blue was called, and Social work and I stood off in the background, and we witnessed the staff in their PPE, administering CPR for over 15 minutes, with physicians, nurses, and a respirator therapist right at bedside. They rotate in doing compression and they come out shaking, while other staff help to remove safely all of their PPE. This is difficult and physically taxing, and of course they are anxious, as they try to save another, they too could potentially get infected. Staff are nervous, staff are anxious, and so we are present to support staff during this time.
These experiences are just my own and I’m sure there are many more stories that could be shared. I’m amazed at the strength of the staff, and their dedication!
There are so many more people within our healthcare system, who put themselves at risk daily, but have taken the commitment to help those in need. My prayer request would be for all the staff who work directly with patients but also to those staff who clean the rooms and for all team members who play their role in helping ensure patients and family are taken care of. Mainly my request for prayer would be for those currently fighting for their lives all throughout our hospital system, their families, and loved ones. Being isolated and being away from their support systems is a lonely experience. I request that ongoing prayers be said that God’s presence will be their comfort and strength.
Jisook Kyun
This is a post in a series of reflections during the COVID-19 pandemic. To read other reflections, please go to the Pandemic Reflections page.
Leave a Reply