Rising Up for America

In times of crisis every day Americans become heroes. They put their talents to work to serve their neighbors. They truly become their brother’s keepers. A Brooklyn Physician in the Epicenter of the virus in New York may have said it best. She served her mandatory quarantine period after being exposed to the virus and told Time magazine: “I am a mother of three children. I have an 11-year-old, an 8-year-old, and a 5-year-old. I chose medicine to really help people. My husband, my parents, my in-laws, everybody around me told me, ‘That’s it. You’re not going back. We want a wife and a mother. We don’t need a cardiologist.’ Everybody came to me and told me, ‘Do not go back. ‘But I felt it was a moral duty. I thought it was unethical to not go back. I love my children more than anything in the world. I love my husband. I could not have not gone back. I had to help.”

First responders, medical workers have put aside their fears for their personal safety and are performing their essential duties during this time of crisis at extraordinary levels. Workers performing essential services such as grocery store employees, also continue to serve the public despite the elevated risk levels. Active duty military and reserve units alike are working 24 7 building fully equipped field hospitals in unlikely places such as New York’s Central Park and Javits Convention Center.

I would like to give an incredibly special thank you to Hillary Wellborn. With a true servant’s heart, she left the relative safety of Ashland Alabama and traveled to New York City to serve as a volunteer nurse. I would also like thank my good, friend Hillary’s father in law Paul Wellborn, CEO of Wellborn Cabinets, and her husband Jason for their support of her on this mission of mercy.

General Motors has retrofitted an automobile plant in order to produce ventilators. Mike Lendell has turned his “My Pillow” plant into a reusable cloth mask plant. Proctor and Gamble shuttled technicians on their corporate jet in order to get an out of service toilet paper machine up and running in their Albany Georgia Plant. Alabama can count on its utility workers as always to continue their hard work in ensuring power is delivered safely to every Alabama home, hospital, and business during these unprecedented times.

Gone are the days when every household has a sewing machine. Three Central Alabama groups have used their sewing skills to produce masks for use in health care facilities. Sue Tang saw the need and took the challenge personally. She had her three alteration facilities producing masks for use at Jackson Hospital immediately after they closed their doors to the public on March 17th. Like theatre workers across the country, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s costume department staff is producing masks for Baptist Medical Center. Auburn Associate Athletic Director Dana Marquez also took up the challenge. He has led a small team of Auburn Athletic Department staff members who have been sewing masks at Auburn’s equipment facility for use at East Alabama Medical Center.

It is up to everyone to do their part. Practice social distancing whenever you are in public. Do not hoard food and other essential supplies. Lend a helping hand to a neighbor in need. We can get through this together and come out of it stronger as a Country when we defeat this unseen enemy.