Julie Sanchez in Westfield taking the temperature of an individual.
Tiquel Miller volunteered to work in a quarantined house for his first shift at BCArc.
“He could have said ‘no,’ he could have said he just got out of orientation and was looking to start in two weeks,” said Amber Steele, Director of Brain Injury Services. “But he didn’t, he dove right in.”
Meanwhile, his mother Toni, a site manager, was also working to turn another BCArc home from positive to negative.
Another parent-child team—Bianca Sanchez and mother Julie—have been working through the virus. These are only two houses, but they tell the story of the current surge. Several staff say that the individuals need their support more than ever, and the call to help has never been louder.
“There is a heightened sense of community. They are all staying connected, all taking care of each other through this.”
Some staff have worked around the clock, like Bianca Sanchez and Sheila Lopez Gonzalez. There are countless others who have committed to care for positive individuals, including but not limited to: Suzanne Dimenno, Kerryann Serju, Gravin Dillard, Mavis Appiah, Digna Gonzalez, Theresa Gonglik and Joe Spitzer.
“There is a heightened sense of community,” Amber said. “They are all staying connected, all taking care of each other through this, on and off work they are checking on one another, making sure all the staff and the houses have what is needed.”
To avoid the usual outsiders from entering the house, staff are fixing chairs themselves, or figuring out how to install a new TV for an individual. They are more vigilant than ever, using more than masks, now employing face shields, gloves, robes, and incessant cleaning.
“And they are never truly honest about the work,” said Amber. “They never say the PPE is uncomfortable, or irritating, or inconvenient. They act like its no big deal, but we all know how hard it can be.”
As BCArc staff await their shot at the vaccine, they continue to work through the virus, trying to keep the individuals and themselves safe.
