Sunday 9th March has been designated as a Day of Reflection across the United Kingdom. It is an opportunity to remember those who lost their lives during pandemic and to honour the tireless work and acts of kindness shown during that unprecedented time.
People and communities have been invited to come together on the COVID-19 Day of Reflection, to mark the day in ways that feel meaningful to them.
These are some reflections from two members of the Church in the United Kingdom who served on the frontline during the pandemic.
Amyjane
I’m Amyjane. I was born and raised in the Christchurch area. I met my husband James at Church and after he served a full-time mission in Leeds we were married in the London Temple in May 2017.
I’ve worked at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in the breast cancer team for ten years. I have had many roles, but most commonly as a medical secretary.
In March 2020, I was serving in the stake Young Women presidency and was in my second year of university. When COVID hit, all staff at my hospital were required to complete forms that outlined skills, training and personal circumstances. I was asked to upload two-thousand of these forms onto a portal to help the hospital redeploy staff to support the frontline.
I was called up as a healthy person with cancer related experience to work in end-of-life care. At first, I was a runner in the ICU, going between the reception and the ‘green’ and ‘red’ wards providing updates to families and bringing supplies to staff so that those working on in different areas didn’t have to cross paths, in an attempt to reduce cross-contamination.
It was scary seeing healthy frontline workers end up on the red ward as patients.
I was then asked to work in the Macmillan unit. Due to very strict covid restrictions, patients were unable to have visitors, and I had to fill role of family.
Some days I would paint with patients whilst listening to their favourite music, other days it was more physical care to help nurses who were short staffed, and some days I would sit and hold their hands, rub their feet and wipe their tears as they prepared to leave this world.
It was hard to not share my beliefs. I would quietly pray for them and their families who would watch through the window. Never had I felt the importance of family more. I knew that these wonderful patients had family beyond the veil that were able to come and sit in that room with them and they truly were not alone and that their Heavenly Father was aware of them.
I left the front line when I fell pregnant with the baby we had been praying for. Our miracle. Our daughter is now 4 years old.
That time was hard. I learnt a lot, met and lost some truly incredible people but I am grateful every day for all they taught me about what matters most. I am grateful to be a part of a gospel that focuses on the importance of families and my knowledge that life is eternal. I know that through the sealing power in the temple, I will be able to be with my family forever and that is the greatest gift.
Lisa
In 2020 when the pandemic hit the measures introduced by the Welsh Government closed all elective surgery at Llandough. Lisa was drafted to Ward duty caring for covid patients. Then, due to her very good performance as a Flu Champion, she was drafted into staffing the Cardiff Bay Covid Vaccination Centre as a supervisor. During that time, she helped establish a very good team environment and became an unofficial spokesperson for the centre.
She has many stories of love and compassion in helping individuals and families, including families with children having disabilities whose rights needed to be upheld.
She was interviewed by the BBC on the importance of being vaccinated and cited her experience of losing her father to Covid, she was photographed and filmed vaccinating the then First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.
When the Church in her area was collecting toiletries for Covid patients and baby items for the Oasis Centre in Cardiff and the first Ukrainian appeal Lisa enlisted the help of the staff at the vaccination centre and they collected hundreds of bags and boxes, which were stored firstly at the vaccination centre before onward disbursement.
Christianity on the frontline of COVID-19
In June 2020, Latter-day Saint healthcare workers from around the United Kingdom shared how their faith gave them strength to face the challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic can be read in this article: Christianity on the frontline of COVID-19