YouthCUE and SAYC alumna Erin Kirn now finds herself serving on the front lines in the battle against the Coronavirus. A patient care assistant, Erin has 16 patients in each of her night shifts, currently all of whom have COVID-19. Erin reports that her responsibility is to take each patient’s blood pressure every four hours, tend to any basic needs they have, and convey needs to the nurses. Erin also is to alert the nurses when she sees any patient needing immediate attention. Amidst all that activity in difficult and dangerous conditions, Erin also helps keep patient rooms clean and supply closets stocked. Erin assists the nursing team in any other way needed.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see that someone in Erin’s position is also doing a lot of comforting and ministering with the patients who are in those rooms without the support of attending family and friends. Her actual role under these circumstances is crucial, comforting and calming patients and assisting them in the critical, scary hours of waiting when doctors and nurses cannot be present.
Erin’s pretty eyes are a reflection of the beautiful young woman she has always been, inside and out. As a student singer, Erin was also dependably on the front lines of choir leadership, helping in any way she could with whatever tasks were needed and time-sensitive. A consistent, compassionate giver and hard worker, Erin is exactly the type of person we want caring for our loved ones who are ill and fighting for life.
Erin, you and thousands of healthcare professionals are now the heroes that make the world go around during these awfully difficult days of pandemic. How we thank God for you and all those who risk personal safety to help those of us in dire need! Reality is that, in the twinkling of an eye, any one of us could become your next patient.
To all of us at YouthCUE, Erin sends a simple message: “Please … please … wear your masks. You do not want to come into the place where I work every night, but if you do, we’ll give you the best effort we have to see you through.”
YouthCUE loves you, Erin Kirn! Your kind face reminds us that we need to pray daily for you and all healthcare professionals across the country; and not only that, we each have a responsibility to do our parts in keeping Covid-19 at bay in our communities. We owe it to our neighbors, we owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to you!
Randy Edwards
ASSIGNMENT:
- Please recall a time when one of your former students took leadership in the community. Did it surprise you? Had there been times when this particular student took leadership when she or he was younger? If so, please describe both the earlier and more recent leadership.
- More than likely, the responsible leadership expressed by the former student did not surprise us if the student had also been a leader while in youth group. Now think of a former student who really did surprise you with their maturity, compassion, or exemplary behavior after they had left your program.
- What do you think were the influences on this student’s life — both within and outside the choir influence — that brought them to the place of leadership as an adult?
