New Mexico Voices on COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked New Mexico. Over the last four months, thousands have fallen ill and many of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones have been taken too soon.
All of us have had to adjust to a new way of living, and small businesses have struggled to survive in a transformed world.
But even in the midst of unprecedented challenges, New Mexicans have shown heroic resilience and a fierce resistance to despair. Across our state, communities have mobilized to launch food drives, support local businesses, and flatten the curve.
As we continue to hear good news about our state’s efforts to fight COVID-19, I wanted to spotlight some of the personal stories that New Mexicans have shared with our campaign. These are stories of strength, resilience, and hope — and I hope they bring you comfort in this challenging time.
Have your own story? Share it with us here.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AND DEEDS OF LOVE
“I think — in their own way — there are a bunch of people doing little things for each other right now. There’s a farmer out here who had a problem with his well where a pipe had slid down inside. So another guy went out there, and I think he spent four hours with a little cable and a lasso, dropping it into that well and finally they hooked up the pipe and pulled it up. That’s a lot better than moving over 20 feet and digging a new well.
My wife likes to sew and has made a lot of masks for people around the community. She makes them for health care workers and she gives them away. She sent a bunch to Native American communities. We have a bunch of mask makers, just sewing masks for other people.
Our Democratic party collected enough money for all of the workers who do the janitorial work in the hospital to have a Subway meal delivered to the hospital so they didn’t have to go out and sit in a restaurant. During this time, there are many random acts of kindness and deeds of love that are going on. To me, they’re very touching and impressive.”
-Jeff S., Otero County
THE FAMILY MAILBOX
“Since we are not able to interact socially with our children or grandchildren my son-in-law came up with a unique idea of communicating. He and with the help of our grandsons built a mailbox that was placed between his property and my other son’s house. We have been exchanging letters there for the last 5 weeks. The grandkids especially love exchanging letters. Each family has their own flag they put up to let the others know they have left mail there.”
- Elizabeth P., Valencia County
SUPPORTING FAMILIES ON THE FRONT LINES
“We have about 180 employees, and we know that many of our employees live as two-paycheck families or have spouses or significant others who have lost their jobs. So we decided that we would make a $3-an-hour increase in their pay as, what we call it, the “Family COVID Support Pay” during the duration of this crisis.
I am so proud of our employees. They have really gone the extra mile. We’re screening everybody, we’re testing everyone, we’re seeing our patients, and we have not had any of our employees get COVID.”
-Dr. Barbara L. McAneny MD, CEO of New Mexico Oncology Hematology Consultants and New Mexico Cancer Center
THE BEST NEIGHBORS IN THE WORLD
“I’ve been on work from home orders through my employer, Los Alamos National Lab. Happily, the Lab is stellar in supporting its employees and I am able to do almost all my work remotely. Meanwhile my neighbors and I have a texting chat circle in which we occasionally send a group check-in, group mutual joking session, mutual “who’s doing what” and mutual “do you need anything?” I have the best neighbors in the world.”
-Charlotte R., Santa Fe County
CREATIVE THINKING TO KEEP US ALL ON PAYROLL
“My hubby Doug has a rare degenerative neurological disease called Multiple System Atrophy. We learned of his situation when he developed a Parkinson’s-like tremor, but he had many mysterious symptoms before that. He was executive director of two rural Boys and Girls Clubs in Chimayo and Abiquiu for several years, but his voice had gotten so soft he was having challenges with public speaking. Turns out that is a symptom! We got in to see one of New Mexico’s three movement disorder specialists, after a life-threatening misdiagnosis, and finally started getting the care he needs. Since then, Doug has outlived the normal prognosis for MSA. I’m convinced it is the magic of New Mexico! But since pneumonia is the leading cause of death for MSA patients, you can bet we’re being safe in these times.
To me, [COVID-19] feels like I’ve just returned to the time when I left my job to spend time with Doug, do bucket-list things and take him to therapy he could only get in Albuquerque. When I was working, we both felt socially isolated by the effect his symptoms had on other people — even our friends‚ and the fact that I knew my job might be threatened if my employer knew my real situation.
What’s different? I now work for a nonprofit that not only knows about my situation, but hired me anyway, and has been hugely supportive and understanding of both me and Doug. What’s more, we’ve pivoted to continue [the nonprofit’s] mission online while all working from home, and our board is committed to using federal support and creative thinking to keep us all on the payroll, and with health benefits, bless them!
And of course, Doug cannot go over to Erasmo to get his hair cut. I’m going to have to do it myself. Now THAT’S scary!”
-Shelley W., Santa Fe County
RALLYING FOR GOOD
“The Santa Fe community is rallying to feed first responders and support local restaurants with additional takeout business during the stay-at-home orders through a new program called, “Santa Fe Feeds First Responders”
The program kicked off during the week of April 13, and in its first two weeks, Santa Fe Feeds First Responders collected $20,000 in donations. All donations are used to feed Santa Fe’s first responders working tirelessly at all three city hospitals; Presbyterian, Christus St. Vincent and the Indian Hospital.
More than two dozen of Santa Fe’s restaurants have joined the program as partners. From generous support from donors, more than $14,000 in $20 gift certificate vouchers have been issued at this time to all three hospitals for their first responders to use on-to-go food at any one of the participating restaurants.”
- Joann H., Santa Fe County
KEEPING THE MOST VULNERABLE SAFE
“I work with a group called New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps. We had been doing routine health care at the big homeless center on the West Side of Albuquerque and then kaboom — the pandemic hit.
There was no national coordination or guidance on how to respond to the pandemic, so we organized ourselves. We started screening everybody who comes into a homeless shelter and then isolating those that are under investigation [for COVID-19].
We set up a total of six isolation hotels, and will be down to one by the end of July. We have put 600 citizens through the hotel isolation protection system. Initially, we moved those who were most medically vulnerable (seniors and people experiencing homeless with co-morbidities) and isolated them at the community centers, which were emptied out at the time. Not a single isolated senior has contracted COVID — and out of those community centers, almost all of the women [experiencing homelessness] are now housed.
It’s been a really gratifying job. We have kept our most vulnerable people safe, which hasn’t happened in other congregate living spaces.”
-Dr. Ruth O’Keefe, retired orthopedic trauma surgeon and member of Corona Crushers, a multidisciplinary group dedicated to developing New Mexico’s COVID-19 response and caring for those most vulnerable to the virus.
