Sense of purpose, personal connection motivates EVS associate during pandemic

Maggie Alvarez is an Environmental Services associate at Memorial Hospital.

Maggie Alvarez working at Memorial Hospital.

When COVID started, it was scary. We were seeing a lot of elderly people dying of it. We wore masks and shields and glasses and were still afraid to breathe. I didn’t want to touch anything, even with gloves on. Or if you were in the habit of touching your head, you were afraid you might without thinking about it. We didn’t know much about it in the beginning, but the more we have learned, the more education we receive, the more it has helped us not be nervous. I’m 63 years old and I feel safe at the hospital.

After making sure I am in full gear, it takes a good hour to clean a COVID room because you have to touch everything, clean everything. I care about our patients and I want it done right, so I’m extra cautious. I’m thinking about the next person who is coming into the room.

My oldest brother, who was more like my father, died of COVID two months ago in Chicago. It was very hard losing him. It’s heartbreaking for people who are not able to stand by their family member, to be in the same room. We weren’t able to hug my brother or say goodbye next to him. The experience really put me in the shoes of people at our hospital who have family with COVID.

It felt amazing when people started to notice us like we never have been before, and bringing us meals, because we have to be in rooms with people who have tested positive. I felt important. It made us all feel like we’re doing this together. We’re getting through this together, not only in the hospital, but together as a community. I pray every day, and someday I’ll thank the Lord for getting me through this and helping others get through it. I still feel like I’m doing something with a purpose and that we’re all fighting this battle together.