ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Many Americans have been anxiously awaiting the day their grandparents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Florida nurse Megan Patterson was among them.
After spending much of the past year treating patients in a COVID-19 unit, Patterson witnessed the deadly disease firsthand at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg.
Because she was working with COVID-19 patients, Patterson was unable to visit many of her loved ones. Specifically, she wasn’t able to see her two grandmothers, who she says essentially raised her. "Gramma" and "Nana" are both 80 years old and have COPD.
In October, Patterson contracted the virus herself. She took time off of work and was “very sick for a month,” according to a hospital representative.
Once she recovered, Patterson returned to work and was able to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in December. Afterwards, she began working in the hospital’s vaccination clinic to help others protect themselves against the virus.
When January rolled around, Patterson got the amazing opportunity to vaccinate both of her grandmothers, giving the important women in her life their first shots.
The hospital says Patterson felt grateful to be able to take care of her family members and to share such a big moment in medicine with her grandmas.
“I feel strongly about the efficacy of the vaccine, enough so to get it myself and give it to two of the most important people in my life, to keep them safe," said Patterson. "I want everyone to remember that pandemic or not, my job doesn’t change, I am always there to take care of my patients.”
