“Kamakshi has always been very kind and caring towards everyone. Ever since she understood how important it was to take care of things, she applied it to all living things and tried to take care of not just our family and her friends but also plants and animals. After 10th when she finally said she wanted to be a nurse, we knew she had chosen the right profession for herself.
And now after 5-years, she is treating no less than 20 patients every day, struggling and fighting during the COVID19 pandemic for each life. As a mother, I have mixed feelings--that of respect and also of apprehension when I think of my daughter’s role in the pandemic. I am proud of her as she is doing what she wanted to do and most importantly is where she’s needed the most.
She is staying in the hospital quarters for the past two months, ever since she was picked for the ICU ward since she is very prone to the infection. So, she stays in the quarters in a small room by herself. She eats her meals also in the hospital. Last month, we got the biggest scare when she got fever and was thought to be COVID positive. But thankfully, the reports turned out negative. And then she was asked to quarantine herself at home, but the brave girl instead requested that she quarantine in her hospital residence since she did not want to bring the infection home to us. But it must have been so tough and lonely for her...to be in that spartan room for days at an end, with no company or work, but just meals and her phone.
She has resumed her duties since but still is very scared to touch us or be around us and so often for days she decides to stay away. I try and send her tiffin so that she doesn’t have to risk the food at the hospital. I can’t be there to take her work load off her shoulders but atleast can ensure she has a full tummy of food.
Whenever she comes home, I can sense the sadness and agony in her eyes. There are so many patients who die alone as their families weren’t allowed into the hospitals. That is when my daughter helps them to see their families on video calls to say final goodbyes. It is a very noble thing she is doing and I know how deeply it touches her feelings but I genuinely worry about the psychological impact, all this will have on her--she is a gentle baby of mine and is not meant to tolerate so much I feel--seeing so much of death and sadness around her so early in life.
It is hard not to hug my daughter, or give her a pat on the back, just because it will bother her even more due to my vulnerability to the virus and infection. I crave to touch my daughter’s face and tell her she’s doing her best, because now is the time when my daughter needs a hug, probably more than ever. She needs to be reminded that it’s all going to be okay and that I am going to be with her always… I just want her to be safe, always!" says Sarita Chaudhary, Kamakshi's mother, Lucknow.