MADISON, Wis.— Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontlines has been a long battle for healthcare workers. At St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, two nurses, who happen to be sisters, are fighting the pandemic together.
Andrea Jarstad and Michelle Davis have both been nurses for over 20 years. They come from a family of health care workers and say they’ve faced a lot together in the past. Although they admit that it's safe to say they haven't tackled anything quite like this pandemic.
“Being a nurse in Wisconsin right now— it's scary because the cases... continue to increase. And I feel like it's hard when we all know that the cases are going up... It's going to get worse as the winter goes on," Jarstad says.
The unexpected challenges on a day-to-day basis are made just a little bit easier by something exclusive to the duo: They have each other.
“When we walk out at the end of the day, [there] is somebody that totally understands how the day was and the things we do,” Davis says.
Even though the pandemic continues to bring a slew of unexpected twists and turns, the sisters say their support for one another will not waiver. They're continuing to lean on one another, staying strong for those who can't have their loved ones beside them right now.