by Aimee Cho
Thursday marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic and the landscapes of our lives began to change forever.
COVID-19 has affected lives in the Washington, D.C., area in more ways than we can count, changing our workdays, schooldays, commutes, how we’re able to be together, who we have lost and much more.
When News4 asked people across the region about the past year, their answers were not about themselves; they were about the grace and gratitude that have sustained us and the perseverance that will see us through.
“The fragility of life and the shortness of life in general, and the importance of life” was what stood out for Dr. Douglas Mayo, emergency department chair at UM Prince George’s Hospital Center.
“Just being able to lean on each other to get through the day” was the takeaway of Nicaise Magui, a nurse at the same hospital.
This is the story of the past year — what we’ve lost and what we’ve found.
Federal Pentagon Officer Patrick Bright, of Clinton, Maryland, received a hero’s welcome when he was discharged from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in May. COVID-19 robbed him of his strength and left him on a ventilator for 19 days. He could barely walk.
Amid the loss and heartache of the past year, we’ve seen humanity at its best, in all its beauty and bravery.
Ten months later, he’s made huge strides in his recovery and is able to walk using a cane. Bright said he’s still fighting to get better.
“That’s the mindset that law enforcement are taught, that you’re never to give up. Always fight, even to the bitter end,” he said.
Bright’s doctors had told his wife, Pamela, that the end was near for him. She was fighting COVID-19 herself and planning his possible funeral. On Easter Sunday, he woke up.
“It was a miracle. We call him Mr. Miracle,” she said. “I’m so grateful that we were given a second chance.”
Health care workers who risked their lives to help others made second chances possible. Some said they found strength during the pandemic that they didn’t know they had.
“It took a lot of guts. It took a lot of tears,” said Magui, the UM Prince George’s Hospital Center nurse. “I’m tired emotionally, physically.”
When the pandemic struck last March, Magui was fresh out of school and overwhelmed. She nearly quit, but she knew her patients needed her. She convinced herself to keep going.
“I love taking care of people. I like being that person to put a smile on somebody’s face when they’re hurting,” she said.
Medical professionals have seen so much pain this year, and a staggering number of lives lost. More than 17,000 people have died of COVID-19 in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Elementary school teacher Nancy Kamilakis, of Virginia, was among the victims. She had a sweet smile, a passion for people and a love of music. Kamilakis died of COVID-19 in November, at age 78. She and her daughter, Ellen Kamilakis, talked every day.
“She was amazing. She was a bright light. She made a difference in so many people’s lives,” Kamilakis’ daughter said.
Kamilakis had a heart attack and then tested positive for the virus. She died a few days later.
“She wouldn’t have wanted us to mope around about things. She didn’t like that,” her daughter said. “Instead of being sad for what you lost, be happy for what you had.”
Amid the loss and heartache of the past year, we’ve seen humanity at its best, in all its beauty and bravery.
Ashish Alfred, owner of the Bethesda restaurant Duck Duck Goose, said he received many offers of help for his workers as business was hit hard.
“People [were] just calling and saying, ‘Hey, can you run my credit card for like twenty bucks and just give it to your staff?’” he said.
In D.C., the DC Strings Workshop offered free virtual music lessons to children.
“One aspect of our program is group therapy,” Artistic Director Andrew Lee said. “Our mission to reach the community isn’t just in good times; it’s all the time.”
In this unrelenting year, we’ve lost and we’ve loved.
“One of the things I’ve learned is the importance of making sure that we’re taking care of each other,” said Mayo, the emergency department chair.
“I found that you need to live your life each and every day,” said Bright, the officer who survived COVID-19.
“We found a huge resolve to stay in this business,” said Alfred, the restaurant owner.
“Appreciate the little things that we do have in life,” Magui, the nurse, said she learned this year.
As the sun sets on one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, may we find hope in the year ahead.
