Faces from the Front Lines

As most employees and students settle into new routines at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, others continue going to work every day to help support our community and save lives. Some of the medical and civil service workers who are part of our larger Westridge community have shared with Spyglass brief glimpses into their current lives. On behalf of all of us, thank you for your selflessness, hard work, and generosity. These are faces from the front lines.

“As a radiologist, my job has been to support our front line physicians and staff by providing diagnoses. We also provide image-guided procedures, where we can be in direct contact with COVID positive or suspected patients. I have mixed emotions as I go to work at the hospital during this pandemic. I feel guilty that I am not in the front lines with the healthcare workers in the emergency department and intensive care unit, who are heroes in this battle against the virus. And I also approach every interaction with trepidation and wonder how I can care for my patients yet keep those around me safe. Most of all, though, I draw on the support of my friends and family around me, and this time has given me an opportunity to slow everything down, get down to the basics, and reflect upon the values that are important in my life.” – Joe Yuhan, father of Abby ’20 and Sarah ’22

“I work for the City of Pasadena Housing Department, managing a program that helps low-income people pay their rent. We’re considered essential workers because it’s even more critical for families to have a safe and secure place to live during a pandemic. We also have staff who are securing motel rooms and emergency beds so that people experiencing homelessness have a safe place to stay. We’ve had to modify our regulations so that people can move into housing more quickly and without the in-person contact that is usually required…It’s gratifying to know we’re helping our community to be safer and healthier than it would be if people weren’t adequately housed.” – Anne Lansing, mother of Rosalie ’20

“As doctors, we normally are not concerned about ourselves but only the patient that requires our expertise. We leave behind family, food, and sleep to care for people we don’t even know. Now with COVID-19, we are faced with continued caring for patients while putting ourselves at a true risk of becoming ill. Most of the time we don’t know whether the patients we are treating are COVID positive or negative. We work as a team and we look out for each other as our goal continues to care for people we call patients.” – Joseph Stevenson, father of Emily ’20

“The world of population-based research (epidemiology) has been markedly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a research scientist, my work has been directly impacted. One study that I lead on cancer survivorship had to halt blood collection because of patient and research staff safety concerns. The focus of my research is in cancer, so this public health crisis has also stimulated many new research ideas: like how the pandemic will affect mortality risk in cancer survivors, or if it will delay getting a timely cancer diagnosis, or receiving life-saving treatments for this disease.”   – Reina Haque, Westridge Parent Association President, mother of Zahra ’21

“I work in the pharmacy department at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center. I don’t personally interact with the patients, but part of my job is to refill prescriptions for the patient wings…We’re required to wear face masks and gloves while we work, but due to limited resources, we have to reuse the same mask and gloves for the duration of our shift. It’s uplifting when I see that some patients are getting better and getting discharged, but also recently, there have been more deaths because more coroners have been coming through.”  – Michael Lee, father of Monika ’20

“It’s astounding how poorly equipped hospitals are in tackling the pandemic. Healthcare workers, like myself, are experiencing massive waves of anxiety and fear about possibly bringing the virus home to our families. When I come home at the end of the day, I immediately hop in the shower and wash my clothes to prevent contaminating my family and home. Not only are patients frightened but so are nurses and physicians, making the workplace quite daunting. It’s incredibly devastating to see the loss and pain in our communities and to the world around us. This pandemic will change the world forever, hopefully teaching us how to better prepare for future infectious disasters.” – Dominick D’Antuono, father of Danielle ’21