TUCSON — Three nurses at Tucson Medical Center have made a public and heartfelt plea to the community amid the current health crisis.
A letter was posted to TMC's Facebook page Wednesday morning, urging community members to do their part to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
"We’ve been here for you when you need us the most for more than 75 years. Now, we need you," the letter reads in part.
To our community, We are writing this letter from the front lines of TMC HealthCare. We are not strangers. We are your...
Posted by Tucson Medical Center on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
The letter explains that the hospital staff is, like many others in the community, tired of what daily life has become as the virus continues to sicken more and more people by the day. The nurses remind the community that they're shopping in the same stores, helping kids through the same learning process, and are your friends and family, too.
The letter continues: "We are tired of seeing young people, our elders and everyone in between on ventilators. We are tired of watching people we know get sick from this virus. Our co-workers are getting sick and we are short-staffed. It is becoming more difficult to transfer patients who have critical needs to hospitals that have ICU capacity for greater levels of care."
The nurses say they are asking for the community's support and help by not giving up just yet.
"Our future - your future - is in your hands," the letter says. "We are asking you, our beloved community, to think about your loved ones and make a few more sacrifices."
They go on to say the next few weeks will be critical, as cases continue to increase around Arizona, hospitals activate surge plans, and some people plan to gather for the holidays despite public health recommendations.
"We need our community to rally behind us. We need support and encouragement. We need each other."
As of mid-day Thursday, the post has been shared 10,000 times. Hundreds of comments have been left on the post, mostly from those thanking TMC staff and health workers around the country for their efforts throughout the pandemic.