Let's not ignore this silver lining!!

In the midst of all the hardship and grief that has resulted from coronavirus, there is at least one silver lining  ...  and that is the positive effect on our environment.  This certainly isn't the way any of us wanted to see significant climate change but as the world recognised the

50th anniversary   of Earth Day

on

April 22nd, 2020,

coronavirus has led to reduced pollution, re-emerging wildlife and plunging oil prices.

The world has seen dramatic improvement in air quality in many of the world's major cities.  When I lived in Xi'an, China some days we would judge the pollution by whether or not we could see the telecoms tower a mere kilometre away, and how bad the taste of the pollution was in your mouth. A report from Stanford University calculates that the improvements in air quality in China has the potential to save the lives of 4,000 children under 5 years old and 73,000 adults over 70.
https://www.politico.eu/

A study by specialist outlet Carbon Brief also found that in China, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by approximately 25%
https://www.politico.eu/

Many of us will also have seen a re-emergence in wildlife roaming our streets in the midst of the absence of human beings observing lockdown rules.  Here are just a few ...

A coyote wanders the streets
of San Francisco

A deer explores the shops
in a Japanese town

  

More deer in an east London
housing estate

A gaggle of geese go for a stroll
in Adana, Turkey

Hungry monkeys take over the streets
in Lopburi, Thailand  (having had to fend
off angry monkeys in Sri Lanka I seriously
wouldn't want to meet this crowd)

When were the waters of Venice
canals last seen this clearly!!

A sealion checks out why the shops are
shut in Buenas Aires, Argentina

Highland goats go shopping in Llandudno, North Wales

Lucy Goosey has taken up residence in a flower bed
right outside York train station, and is tenderly
caring for her four soon-to-be goslings

International Nurses' Day - a Testimony

So, over the past few weeks lots and lots of people have asked:

How’s it going in there?        What’s it like?

How are you?        Can I pray for you?

How’s it going?

I work in an intensive care unit, which means that I look after very sick adults, who are often so poorly that they have to be asleep with breathing tubes down their throats, hooked up to a ventilator for an indefinite period of time. In a normal climate if you’re that sick there’s about a 20% chance that you won’t recover. However, at the moment, for patients with coronavirus, that percentage is much higher - and that’s the part that’s heartbreaking.

Normally, we have one patient to one nurse, it sounds a lot but when someone is that sick they need to be watched closely, they are entirely dependent on you for absolutely everything, and if you take your eye off them, you could miss something, a subtle change, a big change, and that something might be the thing that kills your patient. At the height of the first peak, I was looking after 3 of these patients  ...  I just turned up to work one morning and my workload had tripled. Other nursing staff have been sent to “help” who don’t really understand ICU and maybe don’t actually want to be there. It can feel quite chaotic. We’re working in operating theatres which have been turned into mini ICUs, and nobody can really see who anyone is under all the PPE, genuinely it feels like some sort of war zone. We’re used to very sick patients and death, we’re used to hard and emotionally draining work. But not on this scale, for this sustained period of time, without us being able to physically stand by the families of our patients and allow them to come to terms with how sick their loved one is and slowly explain that they might not get better. 

How am I?

I love being a nurse, I love the achievement of getting people back to being them. I love the teamwork and camaraderie. I love taking someone who’s knocking on death’s door and when I leave 12 hours later, they’ve make progress and aren’t as sick as they were when I started my shift.  

Covid is different though, it doesn’t play by the rules and some patients are SO YOUNG. Quite frankly, some days it's felt like the most soul destroying, exhausting and frightening thing I’ve ever been a part of.  But the whole country has come behind us, people are raising money, donating food, gifting us hand cream ...  it’s been lovely not having to think about things like making lunch. 

So overall I’m coping, but many of us will come out of this time feeling scarred, myself included. 

What’s it like?

Don’t think anyone’s been posting about how much sweat there is involved in wearing full PPE? We have sore ears, bruised noses, marked cheeks; but the sweat is the worst. It’s weird coming home and feeling like you never want to leave again, especially when we know other people are climbing the walls because they're respecting the lockdown.

Can you pray? 

Yes, please pray!!!

Please do not re-produce any part of this post without explicit permission of the blog author.

International Nurses' Day

May 12th each year is

International Nurses Day

"I've had a number of colleagues and family members whose lives are indebted to the care, action, support and kindness afforded by nurses at Medway Maritime these last weeks. To you all, thank you from the bottom of my heart. My own mum and dad are nurses by profession and have positively impacted and saved hundreds of lives. Nurses, we honour you and celebrate your gifts."  Becky C (UK)

"On this important day we give thanks for the sacrifice, dedication and bravery of all who work in the medical profession, both in the NHS and around the world, battling against Covid-19."  Frank (UK)

"HAPPY INTERNATIONAL NURSES' DAY ...

to all the nurses working hard for us 💓

Joy (Thailand)

"My mum is a nurse, has treated Covid patients and caught the virus herself. Nurses can too often be disregarded. They put up with a lot of stress. They are not just on the front line, taking care of patients at all hours, but they do it with a smile."  Manuela (Italy)

Emily & Poppy on duty in intensive care

"Thank you to all those who work on the front line of disaster and crisis around the world - I particularly remember those who worked through the Ebola crisis and in war zones today." Kath (UK)

"My earliest nurse experience was when I was about 4 (pre NHS) I had scarlet fever, and was taken to the Fever Hospital in a big green ambulance. The nurses used to sing with me. I have no idea how long I was in hospital, but the day they told me I was going home, I tried to climb out of the cot, and fell on my head. The treatment was to rub butter on the bump and keep me in an extra day.  When the NHS started we had school nurses and clinics, eye tests and school dentists. On reflection we must have been the best cared for generation. Not that we appreciated the attention."  Bill O (UK)

"I'd like to give my thanks to our nurses who have been caring day and night for patients, especially during this pandemic, with limited protection and some without seeing their families. You're our real heroes. Stay strong!"  Arshad (Mauritius)

"I believe in heroes! They are walking around us, talking to us and helping without even being noticed sometimes, Thank you nurses, for being our real-life heroes!"  Areti (Cyprus)

"Hour after hour, day after day, shift after shift, our NHS serve to help the hurting, to heal the sick, and to comfort those who mourn. They do it to the best of their ability, under tremendous pressures and with limited resources. I hope and pray that as and when we need their help, everyone will remember their selfless dedication and commitment to us and pray that we would each show our thanks and appreciation whilst in their care. A clap of appreciation is a sign of our community gratitude, but let our clap turn into better wages, better conditions, shorter shifts and more staff."  James (UK)

"A great big THANK YOU to all nurses around the world working to bring healing to our broken bodies. You work with God to bring healing to a broken world and we thank God for you. Your labour of love and care is greatly appreciated."  Haris & Anna (Cyprus)

"It is an absolutely pleasure and privilege to support the education of current and future health and medical professionals. It encourages me to know that evidence-based practice takes account of the science, but also the people, and that holistic practice cares for body, mind and spirit. Thank you for all that you do, in every area of your practice."  David (UK)

"You help us to live in a happy and healthy world.  Thank you for saving us from the bottom of my heart. We all love you and are grateful for the hard work you are doing for us."  Sonali (India)

“Because of your hard work and dedication, I can live a healthy and normal life. Thank you very much.”  Pattamanan (Thailand)

Check out this video

Let's clap the NHS

“Both my parents have had major life threatening illnesses over the last 20 years, and I sadly lost my Dad last year.   Each time they were in hospital, whether as an emergency, a planned operation, follow up procedures or end of life care, I can honestly say the NHS in general, and nurses in particular, have been amazing – supportive, informative, caring and kind. Thank you all."  Lynne S (UK)

"I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to nurses and medics everywhere. For saving my life three times. First, in 1953 when I had peritonitis and had 10 minutes to live. Then in 1968 when I was diagnosed with acute agranulocytosis  (no white blood cells). Lastly, in 2004 when I needed a quadruple heart bypass. Nursing staff do a marvellous job, sometimes in difficult conditions. I say thank you, you do an amazing job and I am one very happy patient 😄😃  THANK YOU, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK."  Bill M (UK)

"On this day I remember all the nurses and health workers in the UK and all over the world. I salute your doggedness and all the sacrifices you have all made to save humanity. You guys are special blessings to humanity, THANK YOU for all you have done and I encourage you all to never be discouraged in your quest to save more lives. May God Almighty bless and reward all our nurses and health care workers."  Peter (Nigeria)

"A massive thank you to all the nurses, doctors and medical-related staff for the ongoing care and support you give so generously, particularly in these difficult times. Keep up the good work - it is always very much appreciated."  Barbara (UK)

"Dear Nurses all over the world, we would like to thank you for sacrificing time away from your family and putting yourselves at risk to give us a second life. We will do our best to support you."  Michel (Egypt)

"My mother was a nurse. For 35 years she served as a nurse among people with leprosy in South India. Her professionalism, skill, courage, care and the dignity she placed on some of the most marginalised, forgotten and poor people in our world is a constant source of inspiration to me."  Saju (India)

"I can think of so many occasions when the faithful staff of the NHS have cared for my family and I  ...  they have seen us through heart surgery, cancer, broken bones and a plethora of other ailments (oh my word, we sound unhealthy).  When you're a patient it's important to feel that you matter. In my 60 years I can only think of the smallest number of occasions when I have not firstly been greeted with a smile and some re-assurance, before they have then gone to work in their wonderful, caring and professional manner. THANK YOU for all your hard work!!!"  Lynne M (UK)

Thought for the week ...

VE Day street party

Despite all things coronavirus, appropriately distanced street parties took place all across the country yesterday.  Here's Papa Bill celebrating with his neighbours (complete with his VE Day mug from the 40th anniversary) ...

Where are they now? James

It was a cold morning in mid-January in 2012. I had just gotten off my BA flight from Nigeria to England. I stepped foot in the UK for first time as a student looking to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Greenwich. I had combed through many university prospectuses looking for a place with the right balance in curriculum and rich student diversity. That was why I settled on the University of Greenwich for my MSc in Electrical Power Engineering.

May 2012 day trip to Minnis Bay,
Kent with Philippa & Andrew

Days passed as I managed to complete my student registration and get used to new weather, very different from what I was used to. One day, I stopped by at the student centre for an inquiry and by the corner was a soft-spoken lady who handed over a slip inviting me for various extracurricular programs especially for international students. That lady was Lynne Martin – the Associate Chaplain at the Medway campus of the university. Together with others she ran the Chaplaincy activities like Sunday Lunches and TABLEtalk programs. I particularly became keen on the TABLEtalk program because it was a gathering of international students - and some locals - where we shared fun times and learned from each others viewpoint and diversity.

Looking back, I would say my interactions at TABLEtalk was one my most rewarding experiences on campus. I got back home to Nigeria after my program in 2013 and picked up a job as an engineer in electric utility. My job at the time was in a location in the southwest of Nigeria. It was a new experience because as you travel to different parts of Nigeria, you will be greeted by its diversity in culture and ways of life.  It was easy to fit in given what I had learned from TABLEtalk about how to interact and appreciate different perspectives. I changed jobs twice since then, but I am now back at Nigeria’s capital where I call home these days. My recent interest in infrastructure development has led me into more finance and planning job roles and I am looking forward to pursuing this new path.

Me and Mimi

Things are really moving so fast. I met my wife who had returned to Nigeria in 2016 after many years in Spain. It was easy to connect given my world view on so many things. We welcomed a set of triplets in October - yes two girls and a boy! We are on an exciting journey raising them.

From left to right:
Herma (girl) , Fadanari (boy) and Imani (girl)  

Thanks to social media, I have kept in touch with a few friends from Greenwich – and hope to celebrate a reunion someday.

Best wishes to all and please keep safe.

James Barka Sajou

VE Day celebrations

In 1945, parties in the street and crowds cheering in Trafalgar Square marked Victory in Europe Day, the end of six years at war.  This year, 2020, is the 75th anniversary of VE Day and our May Bank holiday this year, was moved to May 8th in order for us to celebrate those who gave so much  ...  sadly other things have conspired to nix many of those planned gatherings, but never say never!!!  People are still being encouraged to decorate their homes in red, white & blue and join in both TV and virtual celebrations.

Me with Papa Bill and Uncle Bill at the
WWII tunnels in Ramsgate

Papa Bill's memories  ...  my dad was 11 at the end of World War II and his family lived down an alley in east London.  Their party was held at a junction where three roads met together, close to St Margaret's Church.  He remembers they built a big bonfire in the middle of the road; people brought tables and chairs out of their houses and shared food, to party and celebrate together.  You could hear the boats on the River Thames all blowing their horns, and church bells were ringing, which hadn't happened during the war.  Special VE day mugs were given out. He also remembers that the council had to come and mend the road afterwards because the bonfire had done a lot of damage  ...  in war-torn London I'm not sure that was a big deal.

Uncle Bill's memories:  Uncle Bill was just five when the war ended. He lived with his family in Liverpool and right outside their house were tram tracks with no space to party, so neighbouring families joined together for their celebrations.  Bill's eldest brother had recently completed his training in the Irish Guards and was part of the Victory Parade in London.  Two of Bill's sisters travelled to London for the celebrations and amidst thousands of other visitors to the capital, they miraculously ran in to their brother!! Uncle Bill's most vivid memories were of the food they saw for the first time after the war had ended, such as bananas and peanut butter that was sold in slabs like ordinary butter 😁

So, how will the nation celebrate in the

middle of the coronavirus???

Here's what's happening on the BBC ...
11am: A two-minute silence will be held to honour the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation and reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.
11.15am: The nation is invited to join in with the Royal British Legion’s VE Day 75 Livestream. Grab a cup of tea and tune in as the generations of the Second World War and today are brought together to chat about their shared experiences. This 45-minute programme will feature stories from those who served and sacrificed, as well as recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today.
3pm: The Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War Two. Take part by raising a glass, cheering and clapping on your doorsteps and saying: “To those who gave so much, we thank you.”
9pm: A pre-recorded address by the Queen will be broadcast at the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address on May 8 1945.
9pm: Fancy a sing-along? After the Queen’s address, the nation is invited to come together in a rendition of Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again on BBC One.