Meet Victoria Ragone (she/her), a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Upstate New York. Daily she has to stare the very reality of this coronavirus in the face while supporting and raising a family at home- she and her husband have an 8 month old baby boy. Being an ‘everyday hero’, Victoria has been fighting on the front lines since the beginning of this pandemic. New York statistically has been hit the hardest in the United States, and the Capitol Region is no stranger to the high volume of patients. This means she can’t just come home in scrubs and put them right in the hamper anymore and she can’t come home and kiss her baby right away anymore… there are many other layers to the day that have completely changed.
“I have a bag in my car, and antibacterial spray. I spray the bag down, spray my shoes down, and put it all in the bag. I have different shoes that I switch into as well.” This is not all the precautions taken, and it seems drastic from the world of clocking out and going home that we all remember. Victoria laughs in good spirits, “..when I get home, I undress outside throw my clothes right into the laundry, and run right upstairs to shower.” Her family is fortunate enough to have two full bathrooms in the house, therefore Victoria uses a completely different bathroom than her husband Derek and baby boy Nico.
While being on the front lines, Victoria talks about the true compassion behind the Nursing profession. While things are difficult as operations procedures continue to change daily in the hospital setting, her patients continue to inspire and motivate her. “The patients really keep us going. I think a lot of my positivity comes from being able to spend time with patients that I wouldn’t normally get to spend the time with. I think that’s a big part of nursing that had gotten overlooked before this crisis, when it was too busy to do things like that.”
Victoria is the type of person who leads with an infectious smile, and has the quality of kindness that is truly the backbone of the medical profession. The monotonous nature of busy careers can become extremely wearing and dull, especially when under the immense pressure a pandemic brings. That being said, it has not killed Victoria’s spirit. “In the past week alone I had two adults diagnosed with cancer. Due to protocol, they can’t have anyone visit them, they have to tell their families over the phone, and they go right into treatment essentially alone. No one is able to be there for them. So, being the person who can be there forces you to be positive. You have to be a friend to these people - it takes your mind off of everything else going on."
Relaxation and recuperation are key for being healthy as well, especially when working in a hospital that is a hot bed for the novel Coronavirus. “In the beginning, day to day we were operating routinely, but then we had a few employees who tested positive for COVID-19 which turned the entire floor I’m on to precautions. We have to wear our face shields in any room, and the whole 9 yards of PPE. For general day to day, all of our rooms have gotten changed to single rooms, and we have been having less patients.”
On top of her nursing career, as mentioned, she and her husband have a beautiful baby boy Nico. It was important to talk to Victoria about being a new mother in a time like this. I can only imagine that it’s so beautiful to see such a light like Nico at the end of a long day. Babies are cute and all, but I’ve never seen such a happy baby! Parenthood for any age child comes with stress during this time, but it seems more so for parents of children in key developmental ages. “Right now my biggest struggle is the fact that I want to be able to give Nico a normal childhood. I know that he’s too young to remember much of this, but before the pandemic I would make sure I took him everywhere with me because I wanted him to be one of those kids who was flexible and comfortable doing that. Now, I can’t and we don’t go anywhere. The routine has changed so now it’s making sure we get out of the house for walks, and play outside. All of our family is missing him growing up. He’s going to be on the move soon, and no one will see his steps.” Grateful for all of the interaction social media brings, Victoria tells us “it’s very different”.
I can’t imagine having a child during this time, I applaud all of the parents, as you’re the true heroes. Raising children is never an easy feat, and difficulty is amplified during these times at whatever age your child is. Governor Cuomo had just announced in NYS that all schools are closed for the remainder of this school year. What happens in the future though? Will we have kids stunted in their education, are kids staying back? I remember when I was younger and the biggest concern on my mind was what my AIM away message would be during the summer. Now we have children who are wondering when they are going to see their friends and family again. Victoria’s message regarding raising a young child is one of hope and love though, which I encourage we all take something from. “Make the best of it and enjoy this time with your family as much as you can, because a lot of people can’t do it because of this pandemic.” She breaks that with, “Nico has finally said ‘Mama', so things are looking up here!”
Ultimately, she’s spot on because taking each day and living to the fullest has never made more sense, and I believe that’s the message being relayed here. Connect with those around you — connect with yourself. Communicate how you feel with those that love you because human connection is what is going to be able to be strengthened through this, and far after. Accept love into your life, even though things seem so bleak. Have those family movie nights, get on the floor and play with your kid. Teach them something, and I’m sure if your heart is open, they’ll teach you something too. I’m not a mental health specialist, I’m just a story teller - a guy with a camera and a passion for human connection. I’m also talking from experience though that connecting with other people has personally and astronomically helped me cope with this pandemic. We can all learn something from each other.
In closing, Victoria tells us “..the most important message for people at home would be stay inside, wear masks, it’s not a joke. It has to be done. If anything, this pandemic has taught me to slow down, and for that I’m extremely grateful….I never knew how much I wasn’t being mindful. I was going through just motions on a day to day basis. I was taking so many things for granted.”
I encourage you all to lead your days with gratitude so I will start here. Thank you so much to Victoria and all of the other Nurses, and parents on the front lines of this pandemic. You’re nursing our fellow humans back to health, being their only friend at times of isolation, and at home you’re raising the future.
// Please note all quoted statements above are those of Mrs. Ragone and not reflective of Faiella Studios.